Rose Petals

I have always loved wildflowers. I'm not the kind of person who swoons over a bouquet of flower shop roses, but I love photographing wildflowers. This time of year, especially with the lovely filtered  light we had the last couple of weeks (some sarcasm there as the wildfires are burning early this year) the flowers look especially bright. Soon, I will share some of the recipes I made with this ingredient, but today I just wanted to share a little beauty of the season.

Yes, I consider rose petals to be an ingredient. They really are quite versatile and can be used in their many different forms. I have used dried petals in ice cream and as a garnish. Last year I made rose water which adds rose flavor to a variety of dishes and cocktails. Many times I just add the fresh rose petals to compotes and jellies  as they cook down to nothing and add just the slightest hint of rose scent.  This time of year when the Roses and Rhubarb are the first fruits of the season I like to blend them together in tarts and muffins.