EDIBLE MOUNTAIN — How To Make Black Locust Blossom Crepes

The first thing one will notice when the Black Locust tree is in bloom is the wonderful fragrance. Sometimes this scent is described as the smell of relaxation. In the “old days,” folks would dry the blossoms and stuff their pillows with them to promote a good sleep.

These flowers are edible, tasting like a lovely, sweet pea. Use caution. Only the flowers are edible, and the rest of the tree, including the leaves, are toxic.

Chuck Kleine

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Melissa Rebholz, chef/owner of Midge’s Kitchen, shares a wonderful recipe that showcases one of the ways to use Black Locust blossoms:

Black Locust Blossoms Crepes

Melissa Rebholz

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Crepe Batter:
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk (you can also use non-dairy milk; I like Oat Milk)
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons melted butter

Blend all the ingredients until entirely smooth in a blender. Pour into a sealed contained and let sit in your fridge for at least a few hours. This helps to eliminate air bubbles which will ruin the consistency of the crepes.

Filling:
1.5 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup diced strawberries
3 tablespoons maple syrup
zest of one lemon

Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl and set aside.

Cook the crepes:
I do not generally cook with non-stick cookware but I do make an exception when it comes to cooking a perfect crepe. Get the pan warm on a low heat and add a little bit of butter to coat the bottom. Turn the heat to a medium/high and start pouring a little batter in. You don’t want to go ALL the way to the edge of the pan because you need to be able to get a good spatula in to turn your crepe.

After a minute or so, use a spatula to gently lift up the edge to see if the crepe is set on the bottom. I like to get a little color on each side of my crepe. As soon as the bottom looks like your desired doneness, you can carefully flip the crepe and cook the other side.

Making the filling for your crepes:
I like to take the circular crepes and put a heaping spoonful in the upper right corner and then fold the other half off, then I put more filling on top of the half and then fold the bottom right up. It makes a little quarter circle triangle/fan-shaped crepe. It evenly distributes the filling within the crepe. If you’re using flowers you can put some inside with filling and also on top to garnish. Use maple syrup, more fresh strawberries and powdered sugar on top.

Edible Mountain is a bite-sized, digital series from WVPB that showcases some of Appalachia’s overlooked and underappreciated products of the forest while highlighting their mostly forgotten uses.