Kawakawa adds subtle peppery notes to a refreshing summer sorbet. Make it while strawbs are cheap and plentiful!
There are some crops that thrive in my garden, and others, strawberries being one of them, that don’t. I’ve tried my best and I haven’t given up yet, however. Perhaps next year will be the year! And in the meantime I resorted to procuring the strawberries for this recipe from the supermarket in all their frustratingly plastic-clad glory. While crops come and go in the cultivated garden, wild herbs and plants continuously thrive and I am taking great pleasure from incorporating them into our diet whether it be in the form of salads, teas, water kefir, or in this case in a summer sorbet.
STRAWBERRY & KAWAKAWA SORBET
Serves 6
- 1kg strawberries, hulled, roughly chopped into small pieces
- ¼ cup (65g) sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 7 medium-sized kawakawa leaves
- ½ cup lemon juice (use sweet Meyer lemons if you can get your hands on them)
- edible flowers to serve
Put the strawberries into a bag or container, seal and freeze overnight.
Put the sugar and water into a small saucepan, set over a medium heat and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute or so or until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and roughly tear the leaves into the sugar syrup, then set aside for 24 hours to infuse.
When ready to serve, remove the strawberries from the freezer and put them into a food processor. Strain the sugar syrup through a sieve and add to the food processor, along with the lemon juice.
Process, scraping down the sides as you go, until smooth. Serve immediately garnished with edible flowers. I used coriander flowers as I love how beautifully delicate they are. We didn’t actually eat them as they would have overpowered the sorbet.