Capalaba author grows and cooks with edible flowers

The book is the culmination of Linda’s life of growing, tasting and cooking with the most delicious food and flowers, both home grown and foraged.

The book includes information on more than 30 exotic edible flowers.

A Delicious Bunch has growing notes and features a range of flowers to grace your garden and menu.

For the foodie, there are easy to follow recipes that celebrate the flavours, fragrance and aesthetics of blooms.

Ms Brennan said some recipes were family favourites, some had been shared by friends and others were sensory delights that tickled the taste buds.

The book includes recipes for drinks, stunning cakes and main dishes, all featuring edible flowers.

Brennan shows how to grow edible flowers and then bring them to your plate by creating beautiful dishes.

She spent her childhood wandering the bush with her parents, picking wild foods, harvesting honey and growing vegies and fruit in the family garden at Gippsland, Victoria.

Her outdoor childhood helped to generate a love of nature and productive gardens.

As an adult, she went from a career in midwifery into horticulture, especially organic food, permaculture and education.

She has taught in undergraduate and postgraduate degrees about food, environment and sustainability at TAFE and universities.

LAVENDER JELLY RECIPE

1kg granny smith apples

550ml water

4 tablespoons lavender flowers

450g white sugar

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Method: Chop apples roughly, without coring or peeling. Simmer until soft with water and lavender.

Line a colander with muslin or cheesecloth and sit over a bowl. Pour into the colander and drain all the juice. Hang the cloth over the bowl until it stops dripping. Do not squeeze apples or the jelly will be cloudy.

Add vinegar plus 450g of sugar per 600 ml juice into a large saucepan.

Bring to the boil and simmer until a teaspoon of jelly wrinkles when it cools on a saucer. Seal in hot, sterilised jars.