"Fancy" Watermelon With Chevre and Anise Hyssop
- Cuisine: American
- Course: Appetizer, Snack
- Features: Fast, Kid-Friendly, Meatless
Summary:
These hors d'oeuvres feature lavender and former chef Odessa Piper's favorite herb, anise hyssop (see TIP). Use only the individual, opened blossoms from the spike of purple lavender, and remember: A little goes a long way. Fresh culinary lavender is widely available at area farmers markets.
These bites are at their best eaten within 1 hour.
Wine importer Terry Theise says they can be served with a 2001 Muller-Catoir Riesling Halbtrocken (Germany) or any minerally Riesling with a touch of residual sweetness.
About 24 bites
Ingredients:
- 16 large anise hyssop leaves (see TIP; may substitute mint leaves), plus 1 optional tablespoon of the plant's blossoming buds
- 4 ounces plain chevre (goat's-milk cheese)
- 4 tablespoons creme fraiche
- 4 slices cut 1/2-inch thick from a seedless watermelon, rind and white flesh removed
- 1/4 teaspoon flaked sea salt, such as Maldon (may substitute coarse kosher salt)
- 1 tablespoon organic edible flower petals (any combination of anise hyssop blossoms or culinary lavender blossoms (see headnote), or other edible flowers such as viola, bee balm, borage or bachelor button. Pluck individual petals from the stem.
Directions:
Cut 4 of the largest anise hyssop leaves into 1/8-inch pieces, then combine in a small bowl with the chevre and creme fraiche. Add up to 1 tablespoon of the plucked anise hyssop buds, if desired; mix well.
Stack the trimmed watermelon slices and cut them into bite-size pieces. Lay the 24 watermelon pieces on a serving tray; use any partial pieces to taste-test the proportions of all the elements.
Place a couple of flakes of sea salt on each watermelon piece and taste with some of the chevre; adjust the salt level as desired.
Cut the remaining 12 anise hyssop leaves in half lengthwise and offset on each piece of watermelon so the edges will poke out once the chevre mixture is added.
Scoop a teaspoon of the chevre mixture; use a second spoon to push it out on top of each watermelon-leaf piece. Garnish with an individual lavender blossom or other edible flower petal.
Serve immediately, or cover loosely and refrigerate. Serve within 1 hour.
Tip About Anise Hyssop:The herb should join the ranks of basil and mint as a culinary staple. Its leaves and flowers have a minty taste of fresh anise. This perennial, also called Agastache, thrives in the mid-Atlantic region and attracts beneficial pollinators, including hummingbirds and butterflies. It can be distinguished from other hyssops by the licorice fragrance released when the leaf is crushed.
Use anise hyssop anywhere you would use fresh mint leaves. Wrap a single leaf around a slice of pear and prosciutto, or process a quantity of leaves into simple syrup to make a refreshing green sorbet. Or simply snip off the leaves and flowers and strew them over fruit salad.
The dried leaves make a delicious infusion for tea.
Anise hyssop plants are available at the Takoma Park farmers market at the stands for Waterpenny Farm and Blue Ridge Botanicals. Several growers at the FreshFarm Markets in Silver Spring and Dupont Circle will be bringing in plants this season. Seed can be ordered through catalogues.
From Odessa Piper and Home section columnist Barbara Damrosch.
Recipe Source:
From Odessa Piper.
E-mail the Food Section with recipe questions.
(Michael Temchine for The Washington Post)
