Summer Shrub
Food, Styling & Photo: Oliver Schwarzwald
As long as the elderflower is in bloom
Because the blossoms have a very special flavour. However, the elderflowers are not only very popular as a flavouring, but also because of their many positive properties. They have been proven to have an anti-inflammatory effect. For me, they capture the flavour of summer. They bring a certain freshness and at the same time a wonderful warmth to the shrub. So get out quickly and pick the flowers. There's bound to be an elderberry bush near you. You can't miss the white flowers. It is important that the flowers are not shaken too much during harvesting and transport, otherwise they will lose the pollen that is responsible for the flavour. To repel pesky insects, I carefully place the flowers on a white cloth in the sun for 1-2 hours. The many small beetles then disappear, and the other ingredients are available for a little longer. Rhubarb will certainly be around until the end of June. As with asparagus, the deadline is 24 June, and strawberries anyway. For flavouring, I add green pepper and the zest of an Amalfi lemon. The peel of these lemons is particularly thick and can also be eaten. As we make the shrub using the cold process, we mix the fruit and spices with sugar and leave it to stand for 48 hours so that the sugar extracts the juice from the fruit. The peel takes on a wonderful additional flavour in this mixture. I then add them to the fruit and vinegar mixture to use later as an ingredient.
I already have a pairing for this shrub in mind, but the recipe is not yet fully developed. The finished shrub keeps wonderfully in the fridge for months and only gets more complex over time. The important thing is to make the shrub now, while the elderflower is still in bloom.
Food, Styling & Photo: Oliver Schwarzwald
The recipe:
for approx. 1 litre of finished shrub
800 g Strawberries
400 g Rhubarb
300 g Elderflowers
1 Amalfi Lemon, peel cut into strips
4 tbsp green pepper, freshly ground
1 kg sugar
300 - 400 ml apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp light soy suace
Large preserving jar
Remove the green part of the strawberries, wash and quarter.
Wash and chop the rhubarb.
Place all the ingredients with the sugar in a clean preserving jar.
Close the preserving jar and shake.
Leave at room temperature for 48 hours and shake repeatedly to mix all the ingredients well and extract the juice.
After 48 hours, strain the contents of the jar through a sieve. Squeeze the fruit thoroughly again.
Safe the lemon peel.
Now mix the juice with the soya and vinegar and season to taste.
Add the lemon peel
Leave the mixture to infuse in the fridge for 3 days
Season to taste with soya, vinegar or sugar. The shrub should not taste too sweet but also not too sour.
the Drink
3-5 cl shrub, depending on preference and size of glass
Tonic for topping up
Ice
Mint fresh
Fill glass with ice. Add the shrub and top up with tonic. Muddle the mint (tap the sprig lightly on the back of your hand to release the essential oils) and garnish.
Food, Styling & Photo: Oliver Schwarzwald