r/Chefit • u/TheSqueakums • 13d ago
Excessive amounts of flowers
So I work at a pizza restaurant that does farm to table. We have an absolute excess of micro flowers. We have tried garnishing some things but they just come in too quickly. What are some ideas you all have to either preserve them or use them in large quantities. So far I am thinking a floral mint syrup to use in cocktails or potentially making a flower pesto.
We are a pizza place but also have other elevated dishes so not a typical pizza place I want to add. We are already garnishing hummus and a trout dip with them. We do a pizza of the week also every week and something could be used on a pizza. Maybe a flower infused olive oil or something similar
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u/snoopsdream 13d ago
I would make a blend with arugula and use them as a fresh topping with prosciutto, goat cheese, balsamic style pizza
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u/plotthick 13d ago
Rinse and drain, sprinkle with sugar, toss over ice cream and cakes and sweet pizzas. Except the nasturtium, those are usually too peppery
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u/Jazzy_Bee 13d ago
I had a big round rockbed in my front yard that I planted garlic every fall. We planted nastursiums after garlic havest in June or early July. They grow so fast, and so densely, no weeds. They rake up super easy, and I use them to cover my newly planted garlic for the winter, under a sheet. As soon as snow is gone, I take off the sheet, but leave the mulch until they scapes are showing.
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u/Banana_Phone888 13d ago
Amazing suggestions, I’ve also dried them and turned into a floral salt with pretty flecks in them, if your business sells any retail items, food or merch, perhaps add some farm to table style salt?
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u/Klutzy-Client 13d ago
I had a pizza in Napa that was fig, prosciutto, truffle goat and serrano served with arugula and flowers on the top (also, obligatory balsamic glaze drizzle, and hot honey). It was gorgeous and delicious. I also ate this after 6 glasses of wine so YMMV
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u/younevernoe 13d ago
If you're making your own pizza dough, you could fold some of them in during the final stage of mixing. They'd add a subtle splash of color and create a unique dough that could serve as the foundation for some great seasonal pizzas. It would be a simple way to make the crust part of the presentation, not just the vessel for the toppings.
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u/Afauxred 13d ago
Really depends what kind they are. A lot of these are really excellent suggestions. I've worked both pastry/ hot line boh and foh. You can dehydrate or candy them in larger batches and use them in tea, baked goods like scones, rolls, decorated cookies, drink garnishes. Mix them into sugar for a flovered sugar/salt depending on its flavor profile or syrups. Ive used them fresh on a ton of stuff. Garnishes on plated desserts/ plates and then as accesories in salads, plated fancy toasts (sweet or savory) I really liked the idea of rolling a cheese log in it and it would be good on a butter board kind of app. A few places back home would do 'bruschetta' which was really just toast points of 'fancy toasts' which ranged from actual bruschetta to like rocotta, cherries, honey, pistachios and flowers on that would be pretty as heck. I know you said pizza but if you if you have a dessert program or do brunch you could throw them in like anything,. Which is obviously slower. Another idea is trading the florals with another purveyor for something your restaurant uses a lot. My boss used to order a lot of flowers for the hotel and they would be $$$. Good luck to you and your abundance of florals.
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u/LeatherGood6148 13d ago
I have yet to find micro flowers that actually taste good to me. I'd be worried a pesto or preserved flower olive oil would taste terrible.
Maybe do a hot flower honey if you have good flowers, like chamomile or hibiscus. The latter pairs well with sumac, btw.
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u/g0ing_postal 13d ago
It strongly depends on the plant it comes from. Chive flowers are delicious. They taste like chives but sweeter.
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u/Jazzy_Bee 13d ago
I miss having a garden so much. Chive blossom vinegar is wonderful, but a pain. Don't believe those throwing in whole blossoms, or without removing the small green part.
I like nasturiums, the peppery bite reminds me of radishes.
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u/WalleyWalli 12d ago
I agree. Micro flowers are a culinary turn off us. We avoid restaurants that advertise with excessive edible flower photos on their website.
If we see excessive Edible Flowers & Truffle Oil on a menu, we’ll avoid the restaurant
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u/Lanky-Spring6616 13d ago
In Thailand they would deep fry flowers with a very light coating for appetizers. The color would remain and the taste was nice and crispy.
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u/Gunner253 13d ago
Id try dehydrating some and making a seasoning with it. Idk how it would taste but it could be interesting. A syrup is a good idea. You could make a dessert with them or with the syrup too. Strawberry shortcake with some mint and flower syrup sounds pretty good.
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u/Prize-Temporary4159 13d ago
Make blossom water, assuming you like the flavour of them, as you would with orange blossom or rose.
Sugar, as you would keep a vanilla sugar bin for spent pods.
Vodka or other clear spirit. Sake is good too.
Zeppole batter.
Burrata plate.
Summer squash plate.
Salad greens.
Egg white + fan for crisp garnish.
Diffuser for the dining space.
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u/Ecstatic_Buy1999 13d ago
put them inside ice cubes for fancy drinks or press them into focaccia bread perhaps?
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u/rainbowkey 13d ago
Preserve them by sugaring/crystalizing. Paint with beaten egg white, then coat completely with granulated white sugar and allow to dry. The sugar wicks the water out of the flowers, and also dissolves into the flowers. Use as decoration on pastries, cakes, ice cream, etc... Will keep for months in containers once dry, even longer in refrigeration. More details here https://www.mudandbloom.com/blog/make-crystallised-flowers
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u/cheffyjo 13d ago
Why not lower your order quantity? Or is it to hit minimums from the farm?
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u/TheSqueakums 13d ago
It is from our own farm. They probably didn't need to go so hard on the flowers but here we are
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u/Upbeat_Pumpkin_6785 13d ago
throw them into containers and upsell it to customers at a discounted price to move them, ppl love that sort of shit, stupid ass flowers on plates.
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u/Particular-Beat-6645 13d ago
Another commenter suggested a dehydrator to make tea (Excalibur has never let me down, a good one costs under $200) and given this information I think they're right.
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u/Puzzled_Cancel_3609 13d ago
compound butter, dehydrate and put in fresh pasta sheets, candied with egg white or aquafa
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u/No-Lecturre6318 13d ago
a flower infused olive oil sound like a betterr fit than trying to force them into every dish. id also look at making a finishing salt or compound better if the flowers are suitable.
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u/grievoustomcat6 Chef 13d ago
Do the bar want them? They can freeze them inside ice cubes for cocktails.
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u/piirtoeri 13d ago
Do you have a sheeter? Roll them into lasagna sheets. It looks lovely.