Rhubarb, strawberry, and elderflower will always be an iconic dessert trio for me. Rhubarb is sour and crunchy, strawberries are tart and tender, and elderflower brings a sweetness and floral notes. The three together have a lot of synergy, and create a great contrast in any dessert that they are used in. With rhubarb being abundant during the summer, I wanted to take advantage of that, and use that with the strawberries to add contrast to a creamy, elderflower dessert. So I figured, why not make a panna cotta? Panna cotta is an Italian set cream dessert, usually done so with gelatin, that is silky and delicate. Between strawberry, rhubarb, or elderflower, elderflower makes the most sense to use in a panna cotta, because those sweet and floral notes carry over in dairy really nicely. Just to make sure that the elderflower isn’t completely lost, I poached rhubarb in it too, just to impart that flavor directly into the rhubarb, and with that poaching liquid, tossed fresh strawberries into that as well. While rhubarb has a snappy texture to it, I wanted there to be some crunch as well, so I made feuilletine(think crushed up bits of waffle cone), and to temper any additional sweetness, used meyer lemon zest to brighten it up. The end result is a literal taste of summer, with a pleasant, floral panna cotta contrasted with crunchy pastry and tender rhubarb and strawberries for that tartness. I literally inhaled the whole thing in one go.

Makes 2 servings:
For the elderflower panna cotta:
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 tsp gelatin powder + 1 tbsp cold water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp elderflower liquor
a pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

In a pot, bring everything to a simmer until the gelatin, sugar, and salt are dissolved into the cream. Pour the liquid into two bowls, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

For the poached rhubarb:
1 stalk rhubarb
1 tbsp elderflower liquor
juice from 1 meyer lemon
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp granulated sugar
a pinch of salt

Cut the rhubarb into 2 inch by 1/4 inch stalks. In a pot, bring the other ingredients to a simmer and get the sugar to dissolve into the water. Poach the rhubarb in the liquid on low heat for 2 minutes. Allow the rhubarb to cool in the liquid before plating.

For the meyer lemon feuilletine:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 egg white
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
a pinch of salt
zest from 1 meyer lemon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F. Combine ingredients. Spread the batter onto a sheet tray in a thin layer. Bake the batter for about 12 minutes. Break into smaller pieces.

For garnish:
6 fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
Viola flowers

Toss the berries with the rhubarb and garnish the top of the panna cotta with that mixture. Sprinkle off to the side of that the feuilletine, and garnish with edible flowers to finish.