Elder flowers are synonymous with the start of British summer, but apart from making elderflower cordial, wine and champagne, they have a great many other uses.
We found this great recipe by Lawrence Keogh on the BBC Food website which uses elder flowers and elder flower cordial to dress a rather tasty peppered duck.
A great summer alternative to the traditional Sunday.
This recipe also uses lovage, a garden herb which has a mild celery/coriander like taste but not often grown because it can become a bit of a thug.
Remember not to pick all of the elder flowers or there will be no elder berries later in the year!
Apart from Elder flowers, there are many other wild foods available in June, including;
Alexanders – flowers or stems and buds if flowers not open. –
Fairy-ring Champignon
Gorse flowers
Marsh Samphire
Pennywort
Ramsons (wild garlic)
Ribwort Plantain
St George’s mushroom
Sea Beet
Shaggy inkcap
Stinging Nettle
Sweet Woodruff
Wild Rose Flowers
Wild Strawberries
Wild Thyme
Wood Sorrel
More information
BBC Food – Peppered Duck with Cherries and Elderflower and lovage dressing.
Elderflower recipes – Some great elderflower recipes from River Cottage, including elderflower delight.