Elderflower Granita with Rhubarb, Crushed Berries, Wild Rice and Charred Sour Cream

Use equal parts vinegar and sugar to make gastrique. Cook on medium heat until sugar is dissolved, remove and set aside to cool.

For the Granita, bring water and sugar to a boil.

Remove from heat, add elderflowers and steep for 24 hours until flavourful.

Mix simple syrup with gastrique and 2 cups of water. Place in a deep-bottomed bowl or in a long shallow container/casserole pan.

Place the container in freezer and run fork through mixture every hour until a large mix of ice crystals forms. Leave covered in freezer.

Over medium heat, cook rhubarb with sugar until rhubarb breaks apart. Set aside and cool.

Add berries and sugar to a pot and gently toss them over medium heat until hot, careful not to over mash. Lightly crush them with spoon or spatula.

To make sour cream, heat cream to 180ºF in a double boiler. Cool cream to room temperature. You can set the double boiler in a pan of cold water to speed up the cooling.

Once completely cooled to room temperature, place cream in a glass jar and add buttermilk. Cover the jar lightly with a cotton dish towel. Allow mixture to stand in a warm spot (70ºF-80ºF) for 24 to 48 hours.

Once finished, refrigerated sour cream will last for 3 weeks.

Mix sour cream with leek ash and maple syrup to taste. Leek ash will give it a light smoked flavour and stone colour.

Heat large pot full of the canola oil to 400ºF and add small handfuls of rice.

Remove rice once it puffs up with a strainer and place on paper towel. Season immediately with sea salt.

Spoon rhubarb and berries on one side of a chilled bowl. Add sour cream to opposite side of bowl. Cover all berries with elderflower granita and sprinkle with wild rice and edible flowers.