Seems like a simple recipe to post in our lovely lavender blog but I have been thinking so much lately about hot drinks...especially hot tea and easy ways to make it more lavender-y! Making lavender sugar is quick and easy. If presented in a nice container, it can make an elegant gift.
There are no extra special ingredients needed...just sugar, culinary lavender buds and several pretty glass containers.
Lavender Sugar
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 Tbsp culinary lavender buds
Mix together the sugar and lavender buds and place in a covered container. Store at room temperature for 1-2 weeks, shaking the container occasionally to distribute the lavender buds among the sugar granules. After 2 weeks, pass the sugar through a strainer to remove the buds and store the Lavender Sugar in an airtight container. For a more profound lavender taste, crush the lavender buds in a spice grinder or coffee grinder before mixing with the sugar and then do NOT remove them from the sugar.
I decided to leave the lavender buds whole and after two weeks, I plan to strain half of my sugar with the purpose of using it in tea. The other half of the sugar I will leave in my lavender buds and use this for cake or brownie recipes. YUM!!
(recipe from page 16 of 'The Lavender
Gourmet- Culinary Recipes for Entertaining and Every Day' by Jennifer Vasich)
While reviewing books last week for the blog, I once again became engrossed in the fascinating recipes that Jennifer Vasich provided in her lovely book, 'The Lavender Gourmet- Culinary Recipes for Entertaining and Every Day'. I decided it would be fun to go through the book and do provide a "cook and review" here on the blog.
There is no better place to start then with what some describe as the most important meal of the day...Ms. Vasich described this strata as a family favorite that can be easily prepared the night before and then popped into the oven in the AM for a lovely family breakfast.
Basil & Lavender Breakfast Strata
- 1 pkg (8 oz) ground turkey sausage
- 6 eggs
- 7 slices of day old bread, cut into cubes
- 2 cups low-fat milk
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) low fat cream cheese, melted
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 pkg (8 oz) sliced mushrooms
- 1 pkg (10 oz) frozen asparagus, thawed and drained
- 1/2 cup sweet onion, minced
- 1 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped OR 2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp culinary lavender buds
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
In a large skillet, brown the sausage, drain and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs. Add the remaining ingredients, along with the sausage and mix well.
Spoon the mixture into a well- buttered 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake the strata, uncovered at 350F for 60-70 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Refrigerate any leftovers. Makes approximately 6 to 8 servings.
My family and I loved this breakfast strata and will definitely be adding it to our list of repeat recipes! The lavender added a very interesting note and even our picky eater enjoyed it. I also served a fresh fruit salad and piping hot coffee...DELICIOUS!
(recipe from page 60 of 'The Lavender Gourmet- Culinary Recipes for Entertaining and Every Day' by Jennifer Vasich)
I LOVE books...lots of books. I love books on crafting, cooking, gardening, home keeping and beautiful living.
Sadly (or maybe happily if you are a book lover as well), these pictures only show about 1/4 of the total number of books we own as a family. It shouldn't be shocking at all that in my collection of books, I have multiple books on the subject of 'lavender'. I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorites...some old, some new.
The first is 'The Lavender Garden' by Robert Kourik. The author is a landscape consultant and garden writer and this can be seen clearly within the chapters on 'The Botany of Lavender' and 'Planting and Cultivating Lavenders'. There are also a few basic lavender crafts and recipes in the back.
My next favorite is 'The Scented Lavender Book' by Lois Vickers. This is a beautifully illustrated book from Norfolk Lavender Ltd in England. This particular farm has often been described as the home of English Lavender. Due to the large lavender oil distillery located on the grounds of this farm, the book contains a very interesting and large section on 'The Essential Oil'. There are also several sweetly illustrated lavender craft ideas.
The third book I love in my collection is 'The Lavender Gourmet:Culinary Recipes for Entertaining and Every Day' by Jennifer Vasich. This is one of my newer books. The title says it all...this is one of the most comprehensive books on cooking with lavender that Ive ever read. It includes chapters on 'Breakfast & Brunch', 'Appetizers, Vegetables & Sides', 'Salsa, Salads & Dressings', etc. I'm talking 309 pages FULL of yummy and very interesting recipes.
The final book Ive picked for review today is 'Lavender: Fragrance of Provence' by Hans Silvester. The dedication at the beginning of this book says it all- "This book is dedicated to the farmers of Provence who, by their toil, have beautified the land". This is a bit of statistical data in regards to where and how much lavender is grown in Provence and several sweet poems but the reason I love this book is the breath taking Provence lavender field photographs broken up by season. So beautiful!!
If you are interested in purchasing any of these books, make sure to see the amazon link that I have added to each title.
Do you have any lavender books you love? Please share them with me!
