Love of Lavender

I recently visited a lavender farm in Los Olivos, California, during the beginning of the blooming season and I was re-energized by the sight and smell of lavender.  I love all the usual things containing lavender: soap, lotion, cremes, etc. I am even a fan of earl grey tea with lavender and lavender infused ice cream.  After vising Clairmont Farms lavender store, I am intrigued now with trying out some recipes with food grade lavender.


Culinary or "food grade" lavender generally has a nice flavor without the perfumy taste or smell of other varieties of lavender.  Lavender is an herb and a member of the mint family and goes well in desserts, beverages, cookies, breads, jellies, spice blends and side dishes.


Some cooks recommend grinding the dried lavender buds in a spice grinder before using to enhance the lavender flavor.  When purchasing culinary lavender, look for lavender buds that have been harvested early in the flowering season and preferably organically certified.

        Happy experimenting! I hope to be able share some new lavender recipes soon!

Savory Summer Basil

Nothing tastes fresher in summer recipes than just-picked basil.  There are more than 100 varieties of basil, all members of the mint family.  Some of the most common are: sweet, spicy globe, lemon, lime, red rubin, genovese and even cinnamon.  Basil is commonly used in tomato dishes, pasta recipes, salads, savory baked goods and beverages.


My favorite quick recipe with basil is to make up a batch of pesto and then freeze any leftover to use later in sauces, on sandwiches or pizzas or in pasta dishes.  There are hundreds of pesto recipes typically based on  a sauce which is made by "pounding" or pureeing basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese with olive oil.


A classic pesto recipe that I have relied on for years is from the September 2002 issue of Cooking Light.


Classic Pesto
Yield:  3/4 cup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts or pine nuts
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cups basil leaves (about 4 ounces)
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

  1/4 tsp. salt

  Preparation

  • Drop nuts and garlic through food chute with food processor on; process until minced. Add oil; pulse 3 times. Add basil, cheese, and salt; process until finely minced, scraping sides of  bowl. 

The possibilities are endless with pesto recipes.  You can substitute different herbs, nuts and cheeses to come up with your own unique favorite.


Currently, I am in love with all things that have arugula in them.  I found this recipe from Rachel Ray that I plan on trying out as soon as I can get to the farmer's market for my fresh arugula.

• Arugula Pesto
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted
• 2 cups arugula leaves, washed and dried
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4-1/3 cup grated Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated or ground nutmeg
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• Preparation
• Grind pecans, arugula, and cheese together in food processor; stream in olive oil slowly and process until smooth.
• season with salt and pepper to taste and add nutmeg; process until just combined.

Enjoy experimenting with basil!  

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