Lilac Sugar

Lilacs are in bloom for such a short period of time and I simply adore them. I have cut them to bring into the house. But did you know they are an edible flower? I could make lilac jelly or simple syrup to make a lilac lemonade. But my kitchen time is limited at the moment and I have chosen to simply make lilac sugar. The bouquet of the lilacs will be absorbed by the sugar and this can be used with sugar cookies or other desserts.



Pull the blossoms from all the green parts and discard green parts. Wash and dry. I used my lettuce spin dryer and then laid them out on a pan for a couple of hours. Toss with sugar and put in a jar with a tight lid. I will let this sit for about a month.



UPDATE: I didn't have the patience to wait until the washed blossoms were completely dry so now I have very crystalline sugar. I am going to keep it (why not?) and whiz it in the blender. Now I have unwashed lilac blossoms pulled from the green parts in a jar of sugar. Only one bug so far!



Then let your imagination run wild. Floral scented sugar has so many interesting applications. Think about tea!

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Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms

Rather than making pasta your meal why not return to the pasta course. I love polenta but rarely indulge. It is better as a side dish or separate course rather than the meal, in my opinion. This is an adaptation of a Bonnie Stern recipe. Tarragon is fresh in the garden and there is no better time than now to start adding it to my meals. You could easily add green vegetables such as asparagus or peas to this dish. Don't be shy with the salt when you are seasoning the polenta. It does need a bit.



Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms     serves 2



Polenta:

1 c. milk

1 c. water

1 tsp. kosher salt

pinch freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c. cornmeal

1/4 c. whipping cream

1/2 tbsp. butter

1/2 tbsp. white truffle oil

1 oz parmesan cheese, grated



Bring water, salt and pepper to a boil. Whisk in cornmeal in a thin stream. Cook gently, sitrring occassionally, covered, on low heat abut 20 minutes or until polenta is tender and comes away fromt he sides of the pot. Add cream, butter, parmesan and truffle oil.



Mushrooms:

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 shallot, thinly sliced

1/2 lb cremini, sliced

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 T butter

1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon



Heat oil and add shallots, then mushrooms. Cook on medium high until liquid evaporates and the mushrooms tart to brown. Add salt, pepper, butter and tarragon.



To serve:

Place polenta in a shallow bowl and top with mushrooms. Grate parmesan cheese over all and garnish with fresh tarragon.

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Hello Summer, Hello Rain, Hello Cherries!