Flowerpower salad with apple glaze dressing

Who would have thought that hollyhocks, nasturtiums and violas would be so delicious? It might seem like a throwback to the hippie 1970s, but these edible flowers look so pretty and with their vibrant colours are sure to add lots of great phytochemicals to your diet. Be sure to identify your flowers carefully — they’re not all edible. The apple glaze is a great thing to make in bulk as it can keep for months in the fridge.

Serves 8

Prep time 5 minutes + cooling

Cook time 25 minutes

2 handfuls edible flower petals, such as hollyhocks, violas, roses, nasturtiums, sage, coriander, rocket, marigold or chive flowers

2 handfuls soft herb leaves, such as parsley, basil, tarragon and mint 6 handfuls mixed salad leaves

Apple glaze dressing

1 cup apple juice

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice flaky sea salt and ground black pepper

Method

To make the dressing

Start by making the apple glaze. Place apple juice in a large, heavybased frying pan and simmer until it reduces down to about a quarter of a cup (about 20 minutes). Allow to cool.

Mix in olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Whisk together with a fork to combine and set aside until ready to use. Glaze can be made in bulk and will keep for months in the fridge. Dressing will keep for about a week in the fridge.

To prepare salad

Place flower petals, herbs and salad leaves on to a serving platter. If not serving at once, cover with a wet paper towel and chill. When ready to serve, sprinkle with pepper and drizzle with cooled apple glaze. Serve immediately.