Blooming Delicious! How to Cook with Roses 🌹

Rose harissa, the sassy cousin of regular harissa, is the flavor bomb you never knew your dishes needed! Rose adds the most intoxicating smell and flavor to any harissa, the floral overtones help soften the chili and give it a romantic floral allure. Picture this: grilled meats getting a smooch of smokiness, roasted veggies shimmying with spice, and pasta parties becoming wild with a dash of floral fire. Slather it on sandwiches, jazz up dips, and even toss it with your pasta for a Moroccan-inspired adventure

Here is a simple one-bowl quick rose harissa. If you want to cheat, you can also add some dried rose petals and a little rose water to any supermarket harissa you have on hand.

1 Tablespoon dried rose petals

1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds, ground in a spice grinder

1 Tablespoon pure chile powder, such as ancho or ground dried chillies of your choice

1 Tablespoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 Tablespoon rose water

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice or vinegar

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 garlic clove, crushed

Pinch of sea salt (to taste)

In a mortar and pestle or spice grinder place dried rose petals and caraway seeds and grind into a powder. Add remaining ingredients and mix together until a paste-like sauce forms. Harissa can be stored in a jar in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

Rose Water

Both rose and orange blossom waters have been used in cooking for centuries in the Middle East. These concentrated highly flavorful waters are made by steeping rose petals or orange blossoms in water or distilling them with steam. Readily available at most Middle Eastern grocers, they can also be made easily at home. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rose fresh rose petals (washed and dried) 
• 4 cups distilled water

Add rose petals to a pot and then cover with distilled water. Place the pot over low heat and simmer for 45 minutes with the lid on. Strain the liquid from the petals and store the water in a sterilized bottle in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Rose Jelly

 This simple rose jelly recipe (adapted from Martha Stewart) makes a lovely jelly that is not overly cloying or sweet. For those who love to experiment in the kitchen, the recipe can be adapted further by adding cardamom, saffron, or additional flowers. It’s wonderful spread on toast or as a glaze for pies,tarts, and savory meats like pork and lamb. 

Tip: When choosing petals, remember that the brighter the petals, the more colorful the resulting jelly

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 3 cups red rose petals (use the delicate out edges, not the tougher base).  Lighter color roses may be used for a more subtle hue. Wild beach roses are a fav!
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 ounces liquid pectin
• 1 teaspoon rose water (or to taste)

In a medium pot, bring water to a boil then remove from heat. Add petals, cover, and steep for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sleeve, reserving liquid.  Pour liquid back into a clean saucepan. Add sugar and lemon juice, then  bring once again to a boil. Stir for a couple of minutes. Add pectin and boil for a couple of more minutes (if you prefer a firmer jelly, boil a few minutes longer). Remove from heat, add rose water and mix. Taste and add more rose water if desired. 

Pour rose syrup into sterilized jars. Let cool completely before adding lids.  

Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Rose Flavored Marshmallows 

Fluffy and perfectly sweetened with a subtle hint of rose, homemade rose marshmallows are the perfect treat! The recipe is adapted from Ina Garten's basic marshmallow recipe and can be adapted using other floral flavors as well. Orange blossom makes a lovely marshmallow flavor, simply substitute orange blossom water for rose water.

Ingredients: 

• 3 packages unflavored gelatin
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup (golden syrup)
• 1/4 teaspoon flaky salt
• 1/2 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon rose water 
• confectioners' sugar, for dusting
• 3 Tablespoons organic rose buds or petals
• Pink dye or a pinch of raspberry or dragon fruit powder to color marshmallows pink (optional)

Equipment: A candy thermometer is a must

Generously dust an 8x12 inch non-metal baking dish or bread loaf pan with confectioners' sugar. If you only have a metal pan, then lightly grease first before dusting.

Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer and let sit.

In a small saucepan over medium heat add the sugar, syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup of water and cook until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches 240F/115C degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Put the mixer on high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick and fluffy, approximately 15 minutes. Add rose water, 1 Tablespoon crushed rose petals and the vanilla and mix thoroughly. If you would like pink colored marshmallows add a drop of food coloring or either raspberry powder or dragon fruit powder.

Pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared baking pan, smooth the top, and dust with more confectioners' sugar. Allow to rest uncovered overnight until it dries out.

Turn the marshmallows onto a board and cut them into squares. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and the remainder of the rose petals.