Summernight Flower Latte by Elise Esposito of EAT IT ALIVE
Elise and I were introduced by a mutual friend last autumn during my time in Malmö, Sweden. My friend described Elise to me as a fellow wolf sister and kitchen witchy woman, which immediately intrigued me. Once we connected online, I found myself getting lost in the magic of her creations. Her photos and recipes are so unique and inspiring to me so I was thrilled when she agreed to do a guest post for Gingertooth & Twine. I have no doubt that you will leave this post feeling uplifted as I felt this morning after receiving this recipe.
For more information on Elise and EAT IT ALIVE, head to the bottom of this post.
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SUMMERNIGHT LATTE
Last winter, I went to Stockholm to visit a friend. It was a very cold week-end and the city was covered by a thick layer of snow. We took a long walk in a park, drank tea and coffee in a cosy bakery, cooked in her little apartment, caught up with life, sharing thoughts and dreams. Right before i left to catch the train back home, she went to her wardrobe and came back with a large suitcase. We sat on the wooden floor and as she opened it a wonderful smell spread into the room. In the suitcase were many small paper bags filled with flowers she had been growing, picking and drying during the summer. There was something magical in the fact that we could enjoy the colors, smells and flavors of those precious plants in the middle of the dark Swedish winter. Like if time had been suspended for a while. She religiously opened the bags one by one, placing samples of each species in an empty jar that she handed out to me. Sage, rose, calendula, lavender, raspberry bush leaves, chamomile, marigold, cornflower... Brewing a cup of tea from this jar has become a ritual. Apart from the subtle and delightful flavour of this flower blend, they each have diverse medicinal properties. In this recipe i combined the tea with plant milk, coconut oil and honey to create a frothy and soothing evening summer drink.
— FOR TWO LARGE CUPS
2 CUPS / 500 ML OAT MILK
1 CUP / 250 ML WATER
2 TSP DRIED FLOWERS (LAVENDER, ROSE BUDS, CHAMOMILLE, CALENDULA, SAGE, RASPBERRIESBUSH LEAVES ETC.)
1 TBSP COCONUT OIL
1 TBSP HONEY
TO SERVE (OPTIONAL)
DRIED FLOWERS, BEE POLLEN
1 - Place dried flowers in a tea infuser spoon or a tea filter. Add all ingredients to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer on medium-low heat. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. (Make sure to avoid boiling point to preserve the properties of honey.) Turn off heat and discard tea infuser/filter.
2 - Make it foam ! You have several options here.
In a blender : Pour the content of the saucepan into a blender. Keep the cap slightly open to allow steam to escape. Slowly bring the speed up to high and blend until foamy. Divide into two large cups.
With a hand mixer : Place your hand mixer directly in the saucepan and mix until foamy. Divide into two large cups.
In a glass jar : Pour the content of the saucepan in a wide jar. Close tightly. Use a kitchen towel around the jar to avoid burning yourself. Shake vigorously until foamy. In you choose this option you can drink the beverage directly out the jar.
Serve warm in a garden, a park or on a balcony with a sprinkle of dried flowers and bee pollen.
Leftover can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Warm up slowly and make it foam again.
NOTES /
- I used oat milk because it is locally produced where i live making it both cheap and easy to find. Oat milk has a naturally sweet flavour. You could use any kind of milk you like. Adapt sweetness to your liking.
- The recipe can of course be made vegan by using maple syrup or other sweetener instead of honey. I just find there is something magical in combining the taste of honey and lavender !
- Feel free to use any edible dried flowers for this recipe. You could pick and dry them yourself as my friend did or you could order them or find them in a health food store. If you should pick only one, try making the latte with lavender or chamomile
Elise Esposito is a French graphic designer currently living in Malmö, Sweden. Find her on the internet at eatitalive.squarespace.com or on Instagram @eatitalive
all photos by Elise Esposito