Honeysuckle Sorbet
Adapted from "Seasoned in the South: Recipes from Crook's Corner and From Home" by Bill Smith, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, to be released in October.
4 cups of honeysuckle flowers (stems and leaves removed), tightly packed but not smashed
5 1/3 cups cool water
1 1/3 cups water
2 cups sugar
few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice
speck of cinnamon
PLACE the flowers in a nonreactive container (glass or stainless steel) and cover with the cool water. Weigh down with a plate. Let them stand on the counter overnight.
IN A SMALL SAUCEPAN, make a syrup of the sugar and water by boiling it until all the sugar is dissolved and it begins to look lustrous and slightly thick, 3-5 minutes. Add a few drops of lemon juice to prevent the sugar from recrystalizing.
COOL the syrup completely.
STRAIN the honeysuckle infusion, gently pressing the blossoms so as not to waste any of your precious efforts. Combine the two liquids and add the merest dusting of cinnamon. You don't want to taste it but you can tell if it's not there. I use the tip of a boning knife to measure it.
CHURN in an ice cream maker. This does not keep in the freezer for more than a week or two. Enjoy. Serves about six.
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/12110706.htmI haven't made it yet, but sounds like a wonderful seasonal dish to take advantage of everyones favorite backyard weed!