Many garden-variety flowers are not only lovely to look at, they’re also unique additions to any meal. Curious to learn how? Just ask Nikki Fotheringham—gardener, home cook, and forager—who grows flowers in the meadow behind her house and turns them into edible products that she sells in her farm store.

In Taste Buds, Nikki shares her recipes for baked goods like the Lemon Elderflower Cake, preserves like the Rose Jam (perfect on scones or alongside a charcuterie board), savoury dishes like the Flower Pasta with Marigold Pesto, and wildflower drinks like the Lavender Love Martini. Inside, you’ll find:

• Over 90 Recipes Featuring Flowers: Each recipe highlights the natural flavours of flowers, all organized in stunning colour-coded chapters.
• A Guide to 15 Flower Varieties: Learn to identify and forage different flowers, from well-known favourites like hibiscus, lavender, peonies, and roses, to unexpected novelties like sumac, cornflowers, cattails, and more.
• Tips and Tricks for Growing Flowers: Make sure your garden sets you up for success in the kitchen, with plenty of info on how to grow and care for your plants.

Whether you’re an avid gardener, a foodie, or someone who simply adores flowers, you’re sure to delight in Taste Buds.

Taste Buds by Nikki Fotheringham is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Indigo.ca.   

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Sumac Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

As the heat of summer sets in, all the tomatoes in my veggie garden seem to ripen at once, at two o’clock on a Tuesday. There are so many delightful ways to eat them, they never go to waste. Elevate your garden-variety tomato soup with the sourness of sumac and the creaminess of yogurt. The grilled cheese croutons are what really do it for me!

SERVES 4

FOR THE SOUP 

3 lb (1.4 kg) ripe tomatoes, halved

½ large red onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic

2 tsp (10 ml) fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tsp (5 ml) dried

1 tsp (5 ml) dried sumac (see page 75)

⅓ cup (75 ml) extra virgin olive oil

4 cups (1 L) vegetable broth

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup (250 ml) plain 3.5% yogurt, for serving

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped fresh basil leaves

F OR THE CR OUT ONS 

¼ cup (60 ml) salted butter, divided

4 slices of your favourite crusty bread

2 cups (500 ml) grated cheddar cheese

TIPS : Don’t want to make grilled cheese? Chop some halloumi into small squares and fry in butter until brown to use as croutons instead.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

To make the soup, place the tomatoes, onion and garlic on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the thyme and sumac over the veggies. Drizzle with the oil and then mix everything together until the vegetables are well coated.

Roast until the tomatoes begin to caramelize and the onions are soft, 25–30 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the tomato mixture to a large soup pot. Use an immersion blender to cream the veggies.

Mix in the broth and bring to a gentle boil, then simmer on low for 15 minutes. Stir frequently. Taste your soup and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

To make the grilled cheese croutons, place 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of the butter in a frying pan and melt over low heat. Place 2 slices of bread in the pan and fry gently one side only until they start to brown, about 1 minute. Remove them from the pan. Place 1 cup (250 ml) of the cheese on the browned side of 1 slice and top with the other slice, browned side down. Melt another 1 Tbsp (15 ml) butter in the pan and cook the sandwich on both sides over low heat until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat for the other sandwich. Cut the crust off your grilled cheese sandwiches and cut into small squares to make croutons.

Serve the soup with a dollop of plain yogurt and a garnish of grilled cheese croutons and fresh basil.

Excerpted from Taste Buds by Nikki Fotheringham. Copyright © 2024 Nikki Fotheringham. Photographs by Laura Berman. Published by Appetite an imprint of Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.