Organic Lavender Flower & Leaf blend 10g

Description

• Vinegar
  • Steep in vinegar and use in vinaigrettes or as a cleaning product.
• Simple Syrup
  • Simmer a couple stems in a simple syrup and add to lemonade, iced tea or cocktails.
• Tea
  • Use fresh or dried leaves to make tea
• Cookies
  • Add to cookies for a light floral flavor.
• Dried Herb Mixture
  • Include dried leaves in a homemade Herbs de Provence mixture. It’s great on just about anything grilled or roasted! Recipe below!
• Scented Sugar
  • Add about 1 tablespoon of leaves to 1 cup of sugar and store in an air-tight container for 2 weeks. Remove leaves and add to anything where you want a sweet, floral scent.

Simple Syrup
makes about 1-1/2 cups

I used this in a fizzy drink – I added a couple of tablespoons of syrup along with about 8 ounces of sparkling water, a good squeeze of lemon juice and lots of ice.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2-2″ pieces of fresh lavender stems
• 1-2″ piece of fresh rosemary
• 2-3″ pieces of lemon zest

Directions:

• Put all ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, remove the rosemary with a slotted spoon and leave the lavender and lemon zest to steep for 30 minutes. Remove the lavender and lemon zest and transfer to an air-tight container. Will keep in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

Broiled Feta with Lavender-Balsamic Drizzle
serves 4-6

serve the feta with crackers or warmed pita bread.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2-2″ pieces fresh lavender stems
• 1 small shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 8 ounces feta, sliced 1/2″ thick

Directions:

• Place the vinegar, lavender and shallots in a small saucepan and heat over medium until simmering. Continue to cook until reduced by half and the vinegar is syrupy about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer to an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator.
• Adjust an oven rack 4 inches from the element and heat the oven.
• Pat the feta dry with paper towels and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until the edges of the cheese are golden, 3 to 8 minutes. Drizzle with the lavender-balsamic reduction and serve immediately.

Lavender-Lemon Shortbread Cookies
makes about 10-12 cookies

Ingredients:

• about 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 125g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh lavender leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 6 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour

Directions:

• Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the sugar and butter together until fully incorporated and airy, about 1 minute. Add the lavender, lemon zest, vanilla and salt to the sugar and butter and mix until incorporated. With the mixer running, slowly add the flour over low speed until just incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• At this point, the dough will look really crumbly but should hold together when squeezed. If the dough seems overly dry, add another tablespoon of butter. Transfer to a large piece of plastic wrap and form into a rough 1-1/2″ log. Cover with plastic and transfer to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat to 180c. Line a rimmed baking sheet with baking paper and set aside. Remove dough from plastic wrap and carefully slice into 2cm rounds and evenly space on the baking sheet. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until very lightly browned. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. Store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.