I love the smell and taste of rose in cooking and drinks. The light aromatic hint of rose seems so exotic and makes me imagine times of decadence in ancient palaces. It’s so transporting and reminds me of my childhood in the Middle East, where cooking with rose and mixed flower essence is very usual in sweets and pastries.
These days, I mainly just drink organic rose tea to benefit from many vitamins and antioxidants to help heart health, reduce nervous tension and inflammation.
This recipe came about one day when I was making a smoothie and decided to use my cold rose tea instead of almond milk. I am delighted that I did, as the combination is so delicious and makes me feel like a princess living in one of those palaces with silks hanging from the ceiling. The nectarine not only provides a lovely flavour but also provides your body with a host of nutrients and plenty of fibre.
I garnish this smoothie with bee pollen, as the flavours complement beautifully and I can benefit from all the protein, vitamins and folic acid in pollen. I now make this recipe with slightly warm tea, meaning that the pollen ‘melts’ slightly when put on top, creating a wonderful texture, making it very easy to drink through.
ingredients
1 cup rose tea, warm with a few petals left in
2 nectarines, chopped
1 tsp organic bee pollen
method
1. put the rose tea and nectarines in a blender and blend for one minute
2. pour into a glass and garnish with the bee pollen and a rose petal or two.
The Olive Tree Kitchen 