As I
was making elderflower champagne and cordial this year I was thinking how
pretty the flowers were and how I should freeze some in iceblocks to make a
pretty addition to our summer drinks.
Then I remembered how back last century I used to make icebowls for the
festive table – a simple but stunning look.
I could make an ice bowl using elderflowers and match it with
gooseberries for example. What a great way to serve any cold food, fruit,
salad, icecream or even cold soups.
I have
made one with elderflowers but you can use any edible flower, herb or plant or slices
of orange or lemon. You can get really
creative and mix and match colours and shapes.
Some plants you can use are; violas, pansies, borage flowers, herbs,
chive flowers, cucumber slices, calendula, lavender, oranges, lemons and so on. A great idea for the summer Christmas table
for those of us in the southern hemisphere.
If you are eating outdoors this will keep your salads and deserts cool
for as long as the course is on but of course the bowl will be melting. No extra dishes to wash though. Another
advantage is that you can make it ahead of time and make as many as you can fit
in the freezer. There are so many
combinations you can use so get creative and try this.
What
you will need.
Two bowls - one that will fit inside the other. I used a 25cm enamel bowl with a 21 cm smaller bowl fitted inside.
A jug of water.
Directions.
Clear
a space in the freezer first so you can place your bowl on the level until it
freezes.
Collect
the flowers or herbs that you want to use and rinse them clean.
Place
your flower arrangement starting on the bottom of the bowl – arranging out from
the centre.
Lay down the ice blocks on the base of the big bowl so you can
sit the second bowl on them. You don’t need to do this but it is a helpful to keep the bowl in place and stop your
plants from floating where you don’t want them.
Tape
the 2 bowls together in position. Make the gap about 1 inch or about 2.5 cm
apart. The thicker the ice the longer it will last. Experiment to find the size
you prefer.
Carefully
pour the cold water into the bowl. Weight top bowl down. Add more flowers into the sides of the bowls
and use your skewer to place them in position.
Freeze
overnight.
Once
frozen, take out and pop the bowl briefly into a sink of warm water until it
comes loose. Same with the top bowl if you need to. Put into a plastic bag and pop back into the
freezer until you need it.
If you want your bowl to be clear boil your water first then cool.
Some
more ideas;
Individual
bowls for kids. Get them to make their own. Great for children’s parties with
icecream jelly or berries in. (Imagine
lavender icecream served in lavender decorated ice bowls!)
I saw
somewhere an icebucket bowl – will try that for my elderflower bubbly.
Use
flowers and decorate to go with your colour theme.
Use
cucumber slices and herbs or other vegetables to make ones for salad.
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