Lavender

Posted by Diana van Eyk on January 14th, 2011

Lavender is a wonderfully fragrant woody perennial that has over 2,500 years of recorded use as a stewing herb, mood tonic, insect repellent, fragrance and food flavouring.  It is a member of the mint family and is close to rosemary, sage and thyme.  It is

photo: commons.wikimedia.org

best used with fennel, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage and savory.

The secret to using lavender is to not use too much.  It’ll make your dish bitter, and will taste as though you’re eating perfume. It works well as a substitute for rosemary in Focaccia bread recipes.  Small amounts of the flowers are also lovely in salads. The blossoms can be crushed and added to sugar which is then sealed tightly in a jar, then used in a few weeks for cakes, buns or custards.

The flowers look beautiful and enhance the taste of champagne, and work well with chocolate cake or as a garnish for sorbets or ice creams. They add a touch of enchantment to custards and flans.  Lavender also works well with savory dishes like stews and wine-reduced sauces.

Harvest flowers in the morning, after the dew has lifted but before the heat of the day.  Pick blossoms as you would fruit, choosing those that look perfectly ready with the best colour, and leaving those that are wilted and less ripe.  Prepare your recipe as soon as possible, since the fresher the flowers are the more flavourful they’ll be.

Only cook with lavender that has not been treated with pesticides.