I had no idea that violas and pansies reseed themselves to the extent they could, but I’m a witness. The pathways (and everything else) in my garden are covered with them. They are so beautiful that I can’t bear to pull them up! So, I have an absolute bounty of gorgeous edible flowers to use, and I must use them before they keel over from it being Summer. I’m also thrilled to know that I can expect to find them again in such abundance in the future.
They are definitely shade-loving, cool-weather flowers, though they can take a little sun. But the heat of August will likely put most of them to sleep, so you’ll know why if you see the next bunch of recipes starring these little beauties.
Preparing the violas for garnishing dishes is pretty simple. Swish them in a few cold water rinses and allow them to dry. That’s it!
I love summer rolls, and adding edible flowers is an amazingly decorative way to make them. I used shrimp in these, but you can easily make them vegan or vegetarian.
Summer Rolls with Edible Flowers
- 8 rice wrappers
- ~12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)
- Shredded carrot
- Rice vermicelli
- Shredded red cabbage
- Mini cucumbers
- Green lettuce, shredded
- A large handful of Thai basil leaves
- A large handful of mint leaves
- A large handful of cilantro (optional)
- Edible flowers (optional)
- Peanut sauce for dipping
For the Peanut Sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- About a tsp of vegetable oil
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ~2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
- 1 Tbsp soy
- ~1 tsp sriracha sauce or sambal oelak
- Water as needed to thin
Heat the oil in a small frying pan and add the garlic; sauté until it is softened. Remove from heat.
Combine the peanut butter, hoisin, sugar, and soy. Add the sautéed garlic and stir until combined. The mixture will be thick, so add water a bit at a time and stir it in until you reach the desired consistency. Once you get there, add sriracha or sambar oelak to your taste. Set aside while you make the summer rolls.
For the Summer Rolls
The easiest way to make these rolls is to lay a water-dampened cotton dish towel with water on the counter and make that your rolling surface.
This recipe benefits from practicing mise en place, which means you have everything ready. All the ingredients you want inside the summer rolls should be washed, chopped, soaked, sliced, shredded, diced, or whatever is necessary and laid out so you can grab them as needed. You will also need a shallow bowl or dish of water to quickly dip the rice wrappers into so they soften enough to roll.
Rolling is easy enough—if you use flowers, they will go down first, about a third of the way down toward you on the rice paper. Everything else goes on top in whichever order you choose. Then you pull the sides in toward the middle, then roll up. The damp rice paper will seal itself in the process. It’s easy enough and gets easier as you go along.
When finished, serve with the peanut sauce.
