Pavlova Naramata

Photos courtesy and copyright of Shallon Cunningham, Salt Food Photography and Food Found Forgotten

LAVENDER does very well in the dry heat of Naramata summers. I have about 30 Hicote plants (a classic blue-purple culinary lavender variety) as well as 30 Jean Davis plants (a lesser-known culinary lavender with a pale pink bud and a black pepper finish). I cut and dry lavender in late June, but there is often a smaller second bloom in September and October, about the same time my aromatic rose bushes are in the last buds of the season. For the 2023 potluck in mid-October, I was lucky enough to find enough late-season yellow raspberries in the productive patch of yellow raspberries in the Naramata Permaculture Farm Garden to give this pavlova an unbelievable Naramata twist. Not too sweet and made with ultra-fresh eggs from Wendy Rose’s and Jay Drysdale’s hens, this pavlova was a hit at the 2023 potluck. — Contributed by Jennifer Cockrall

1 1/2 cups       whipping cream

1/4 cup            fresh or dried rose petals (plus a few petals for garnish)

1 cup               granulated sugar

1 tbsp              fresh or dried lavender buds (plus a few buds for garnish)

5                      egg whites

1/8 tsp             salt

2 tsp                cornstarch

1 tsp                white wine vinegar, verjus, or apple cider vinegar

1 cup               fresh raspberries

Combine the whipping cream and rose petals in a large canning jar or medium bowl. Cover tightly and place in refrigerator overnight.

Heat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a round cake pan, pie tin, or a dinner plate, trace the outline of a circle onto the parchment. Then flip it over. You should be able to see the outline through the parchment.

Combine the sugar and lavender buds in a blender. Process at high speed for about 30 seconds until you have icing sugar. Set aside.

Using a wire whisk attachment on a stand mixer, slowly start to beat the egg whites, sprinkling in the salt. Gradually increase the speed to high and add the lavender sugar a heaping tablespoon at a time. Mix until the egg whites form stiff peaks. Fold in the vinegar (or verjus or cider vinegar) and cornstarch with a spatula. Then turn the meringue onto the parchment, shaping it with the circle outline as your guide and making sure the top is relatively flat .

Place in the oven, and turn the heat down to 300F. After 1 hour, check for doneness. It should have a nice, firm crust, that is dry and hard to a tap, but the inside should still be pillowy, like a marshmallow. Keep baking for up to 10 more minutes if it needs it. You want the meringue to have a good crust but don’t want it turning brown. When done, turn off the oven and do not remove the meringue. Let it cool completely in the warm oven.

To serve: Peel the cooled pavlova from the parchment and place on a serving platter. Strain out the rose petals from the whipping cream and whip to soft peaks with a whisk attachment in a stand mixer. Crack the top crust of the pavlova in a few places with the back of spoon. Then spread the whipping cream onto the top of the pavlova, leaving about a 1/2-inch border. Evenly distribute the fresh raspberries on the whipped cream.  Scatter a few lavender buds and rose petals among the raspberries. Cut and serve slices of pavlova as you would a cake.

Makes 8 servings