If you love crème brulee you must try this recipe. The delicate floral flavor of lavender is heavenly!
Yiel
ds: 6 to 8 servings
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Ingredients:
4 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon Serenity Lavender’s Culinary lavender
8 egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, add cream and the lavender flowers; heat just to a simmer. Remove from heat and allow lavender flowers to infuse with the cream for 15 minutes. Strain cream mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove lavender flowers.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until light and creamy. Slowly add the strained cream to the egg mixture, blending well. Divide custard mixture among the custard cups.
Arrange the custard cups in a oven proof roasting or baking pan. Prepare water for the water bath by bringing enough water to a simmer. Carefully pour the hot water into the baking pan to come half-way up the sides of the custard cups.
Bake 60 minutes or until set around the edges but still loose in the center. The cooking time will depend largely on the size of the custard cups you are using, but begin checking at a half hour and check back regularly. When the center of the custard is just set, it will jiggle a little when shaken, that’s when you can remove it from the oven.
Remove from oven and leave in the water bath until cooled. Remove cups from water bath and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
When ready to serve, sprinkle approximately 2 teaspoons of remaining sugar over each crème brulee and using a small hand-held torch melt the sugar until a golden brown crust is formed.
Impress your guests with this beautiful pistachio crusted roast rack of lamb using Serenity’s Herbes de Provence and Culinary Lavender. Sweet, nutty pistachios are added to a traditional Dijon mustard crust, which gives the lamb a great flavor and texture.
Makes 4 Portions Pistachio Crusted Roast Rack of Lamb
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 fully trimmed racks of lamb (just under 1 1/2 pounds each)
- 1 teaspoon Serenity Lavender’s Herbes de Provence, or dried Italian herb blend
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
- For the crust:
- 2/3 cup finely chopped roasted pistachios
- 2 tablespoon plain bread crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon Serenity Lavender’s Culinary Lavender finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- pinch of salt and fresh ground black pepper
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Season the lamb very generously with the fresh black pepper and salt to taste. Sprinkle over and press in the dried herbs. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet, and brown the lamb racks on both sides for a few minutes over high heat. Remove to a roasting pan and reserve.
Use a brush or spoon to spread the Dijon mustard over the surfaces of the lamb. Spread some on the sides and ends, but most should remain on the top surface.
Combine the crust ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Divide between the 2 racks of lamb, and sprinkle over to cover the mustard-spread surface. Once evenly distributed, press gently with your fingers to makes sure it’s adhering to the mustard.
Place in the preheated oven and cook for 25 minutes, or until the internal temp is 125-130 degrees F, for medium-rare. Remove and let rest 10 minutes before slicing between the bones and serving. Garnish with a sprig of Lavender!
Peaches, Lavender and Harrow go hand in hand. Did you know that varieties such as Harrow Beauty, Harrow Fair, Harbright and Harrow Diamond, just to name a few, were developed right in our own backyard at the Agriculture Agri-food Canada Harrow Research Station? While we no longer celebrate these achievements at the Peach Festival, but we still love our peaches which are bursting with sweet rich ripeness right now and available at your local Harrow fruit stands picked just hours before your purchase.
So this season for something try the flavours of lavender and peach
Ingredients:
6 -8 peaches
2 cups of water
1 cup of sugar
1 Tablespoon of Serenity’s culinary lavender
1 bay leaf or clove
Preparation
In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and water and over medium heat stir until the sugar is disolved and the mixture is clear. Remove from heat and add the lavender and bay leaf and steep for 10-15 minutes. Strain the herbs from the liquid and return the liquid to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Add peaches and cook for 2-3 minutes until the peaches are tender. I like mine a bit firmer. Remove peaches from the liquid with a slotted spoon. Let them cool down a bit. Peel the skin, pit and slice in half. Continue to cook until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup. Place 2 peach halves on a plate and drizzle with syrup. Serve with ice cream or for something more decadent try it with marscapone cheese or devon cream. Garnish with a fresh lavender sprigs, mint or bay leaf.
If you love peaches, you’ll fall in love with these Honey Roasted lavender peaches.
Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 large ripe peaches, halved and pitted
1/4 cup local honey
2 Sprigs fresh lavender
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons of mascarpone cheese
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Coat a 7×11 pan with butter, arrange the peaches cut half facing upwards. Drizzle honey over peaches, and add lavender and lemon zest.
3. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven, and spoon honey from baking dish over the peaches. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until peaches are softened and golden.
4. Top warm peach halves with 1 teaspoon mascarpone cheese, drizzle with some honey from the baking pan.
Great on the grill or under the broiler!
Ingredients
8 lamb chops
1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
4 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons Serenity’s dried culinary lavender
1 large garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper
Directions:
In a saucepan mix the vinegar, sugar, garlic and lavender and bring to a boil stirring constantly then reduce heat and continue to cook over low until the volume is reduce by half and the mixture thickens. Set asice.
Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper then grill or broil for 4-5 minutes per side or until cooked to your liking. Remove from heat and serve while hot atop of a bed of garlic mashed potatoes and spinach with the balsamic reduction drizzled over top of the chops.
Grilled asparagus is a perfect side to this easy but elegant dish.
Bon Appetit!
A simple delightful herbal tea that’s easy to make and incredibly refreshing! Perfect for a summer garden party or barbeque especially on these hot humid Essex County days.
Ingredients
- 4 cups boiling water
- 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers
- 1/4 cup loosely packed mint sprigs
- 3 Tablespoons of Honey to sweeten
- Lavender sprigs to garnish
Directions
Pour the boiling water over mint and lavender leaves. Steep for 10 minutes, then strain. Sweeten with honey refrigerate until chilled. Cool and serve over ice. Garnish with lavender sprigs.
Its thats time of year when the local berries are in season and so is the lavender which is a perfect complement to the raspberries and blueberries.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dried Serenity culinary lavender buds
- 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 cups blueberries, rinsed
- 4 cups raspberries, rinsed
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds
Preparation
- 1. In a blender, whirl lavender and tapioca until finely ground. Pour into a large bowl. Stir in 3/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Add blueberries, raspberries, and lemon juice; mix gently. Pour into a shallow 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish.
- 2. In a food processor or bowl, combine flour, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and butter. Whirl or rub in with your fingers until coarse crumbs form. Stir in almonds. Squeeze handfuls of the nut mixture together, then crumble into about 1/2-inch chunks over fruit mixture. Set dish on a foil-lined baking pan.
- 3. Bake in a 350° oven until juices are bubbling in the center and streusel is browned, 60 to 70 minutes. Cool on a rack at least 45 minutes. Serve warm or cool with vanilla or lavender ice cream
Use Serenity’s Herbes de Provence on your favourite vegetables or potatoes including parsnips, carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes, eggplant and peppers. Prepare your vegetables and coat with olive oiland add a tablespoon of Serenity’s Herbes de Provence. Bake at 375◦ until tender – about 35 – 40 minutes.
Ingredients:
– 1 cup sugar
– 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender
– 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained
– 5 cups water
– Ice cubes
– Lavender springs for garnish
Preparation:
Combine sugar with 2 ½ cups water in a medium pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar . Add the lavender blooms to the sugar water, cover, and remove
from heat. Let stand at least 20 minutes. Strain mixture and discard lavender. Pour infusion into a glass pitcher. Add lemon juice and another 2 ½ cups water. Stir well. Pour into tall glasses
half-filled with ice or refrigerate until ready to use.
Ingredients:
– 1 pound of Salmon Filet
– 2 Tbsp Honey
– 3 Tbsp Virgin Olive Oil 1 tsp Lavender, crushed
– 1/4 C White wine 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
– 1 Tbsp Lime or lemon Juice
Preparation:
Place all ingredients, except salmon, in saucepan over moderate heat, stirring with a wire whisk at all times until ingredients are reduced by one-third, to create the sauce. When sauce has cooled slightly, brush on salmon filet. Grill or bake salmon until flaky (don’t overcook), about 10 minutes, brushing with sauce. Set some aside to pour on salmon before serving.
Impress your guests with this beautiful pistachio crusted roast rack of lamb using Serenity’s Herbes de Provence and Culinary Lavender. Sweet, nutty pistachios are added to a traditional Dijon mustard crust, which gives the lamb a great flavor and texture.