Starting this chilly morning off with a Lavender Latte using lavender syrup that we’ve made ahead of time. Lavender and mocha are heavenly together. This latte is perfect for a day that you need to treat yourself to a relaxing morning. This easy recipe is uses calming lavender to make a homemade syrup and topped with a frothy cream. You can always substitute your favourite oat milk or almond milk.
The key to cooking and baking with lavender is to use a good quality culinary lavender. There are many varietals of lavender and each has its own unique aroma and flavour. Our favorites are coconut ice which has a light spearmint and tropical notes or hidcote which has a beautiful colour, especially making lavender syrup and a citrus flavour that highlights its floral notes.
How to make your latte
Brew your favourite coffee or espresso.
In a separate saucepan heat 1/4 cup of whole milk or other milk substitute.
Pour 1 cup of coffee or 2 shots of espresso into desired mug.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of lavender simple syrup and stir. Top with steamed milk and froth, Then top with whipped cream and sprinkle dried lavender…and Voila!
Lavender latte
Lavender Simple Syrup Recipe
Lavender syrup
In a medium saucepan add the water and sugar. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the lavender. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Using a fine mesh sieve, strain out the lavender. Let the syrup cool to room temperature.
You can store the syrup in the fridge for up to a month- it’s terrific on berries, in a salad dressing or in your favourite cocktail!
We’ve been longing to travel… but that won’t be happening soon So, if we can’t travel to Provence at least we can bring that idyllic wine and lavender oasis of France to our dinner table. And what is more reminiscent of the beautiful region in France than herbes de Provence.
Obviously travelling vicariously is not quite the real thing but, it’ll have to do and what better way to travel than through food.
This week it’s a simple meal: chicken, dusted in flour and roasted with shallots, lemons, tomatoes, olives and garlic in a douse of dry red wine (I use the Pinot Noir from our sister company North 42 Degrees Estate Winery https://north42degrees.com/product/pinot-noir-2018-vqa/ ) and a sprinkle of our own blend of herbes de Provence. https://serenitylavender.com/product/herbs-de-provence/ The chicken pieces crisp up on top, while the shallots and garlic melt into sweetness below. You could serve with rice, mashed potatoes or a simple green salad and a crispy fresh baguette to mop up the sauce.
Chicken Provencal with Herbes de Provence
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ to ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Serenity Lavender herbes de Provence
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled
- 6 medium-size shallots, peeled and halved
- 1 pint/2 cups of cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup pitted green olives
- ⅓ cup dry red Wine
- 4 sprigs of thyme, for serving
Method
-
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
-
Rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture; this will ensure the skin gets nice and crispy
-
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow pan or plate, and lightly dredge the chicken in it, shaking the pieces to remove excess flour.
-
On the stove top in an oven proof skillet heat the olive oil and place the floured dredged chicken skin side down until crispy and golden brown about 6-7 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook the other side for about 6-7 minutes. Sprinkle the chicken with the herbes de Provence.
-
Arrange the lemon, garlic cloves, tomatoes and shallots around the chicken, then add the dry red wine to the pan.
-
Put the pan in the oven, and roast for 10-12 minutes, then baste it with the pan juices (do not skip this step). Continue roasting for another 20minu tes, or until the chicken is very crisp and the meat cooked through.
-
Serve in the pan or on a warmed platter, garnished with fresh thyme sprigs.
Serve with mashed potatoes, rice or crisp baguette.
Bon Appetit!
This time of year there is a lot of entertaining going on in our neighbourhood with house parties abound. The food is just as diverse are our friends who are hosting these little soirees from wine and cheese minglers to the causal elegance of a sit down dinner.
If you are hosting a party this season we have a perfect recipe that gives a tender juicy lamb loin or rib chop a bit of zing in the flavour department using locally grown lavender. The aromatic rub of lavender and orange zest is an ideal flavour combination to make any cut of lamb a herbal fragrant note that is reminiscent of the southern coast of France.
Served with a lovely fall salad of arugula or other bitter greens and tossed with roasted hazelnuts and pomegranate seeds. The pomegranate seeds are delightfully sweet and crunchy. The bright red colour and burst of flavour is one of our favourite additions to any salad this time of year, not just this one.
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon minced shallot
1 Tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon Serenity Lavender’s dried culinary lavender buds
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of freshly ground black peppercorns
8 double cut lamb chops (about 450 grams each)
Method
In a bowl, blend the olive oil with the shallot orange zest, lavender, salt and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the lamb chops ad transfer them onto a broiling pan or metal rack set on a baking sheet. Let the chops rest in the fridge for 2 -3 hours
Preheat the broiler and position a rack 8-10 inches from the heat. Broil the chops for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally until the temperature reads 140 degrees F.
Salad
Ingredients
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 a large lemon)
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
400 grams of arugula
1/2 cup of roasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method
Place the arugula in a large bowl. Add the remainder of the ingredients into a small round covered plastic container. Shake well until the oil and lemon juice are blended. Pour over the lettuce, toss and serve with the lamb chops.
Enjoy!
A match made in heaven- zesty lemon and luscious lavender! We can’t get enough of these creamy fragrant white chocolate bites and with Valentine’s day a few weeks away what better occasion to make these rich white chocolate treats for the one you love.
Ingredients:
Finely chopped pistachios for garnish, cake sparkles or powdered sugar
Instructions:
In the top portion of a double boiler, combine the whipping cream, butter, lavender, lemon zest and lemon juice. Over low heat bring the mixture to a simmer while stirring continually.
Remove the mixture from the stove and extract the lavender and lemon zest by passing the liquid through a fine sieve.
Add water to the bottom pot of the double boiler and heat. Add the chocolate into the warm mixture of whip cream . Stir until it is smooth and melted. Do not melt the chocolate over direct heat.
Once you have a smooth mixture with the chocolate, pour the ganache (cream & chocolate mixture) into a bowl and leave a room temperature for up to 5 hours. At this point, the ganache should be hard enough to hold whatever form you wish. Use a teaspoon or a small melon baller to place small heaps of the truffle mix onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in freezer for 15 minutes
Remove the ganache from the freezer, and quickly roll each heap between your hands to create small smooth balls, and place back onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Roll each ball in chopped pistachio nuts, cake sparkles or powdered sugar and finish with a bud of lavender atop each truffle. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Adapted from
Adventures in Cooking; photo from Photo from betsylife.com.
We’ve started our holiday baking with a few of our favourites from mouth watering shortbread to chocolate fudge. At Serenity Lavender we’re always experimenting and adding lavender to different recipes to see how our favourite herb accents a recipe. Like anything in life, we’ve had some huge successes and then some less than stellar results. Over the next several weeks on Sundays we’ll be sharing some of our recipes that have been great hits and sure fire crowd pleasers. Today we thought we’d start with a classic – Lavender Shortbread! Buttery crisps with a hint of floral and citrus notes that turns this old family recipe into something spectacular!!
Servings: 5 dozen cookies
Ingredients
1 lb unsalted butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
2 teaspoons Serenity Lavender culinary lavender (ground)
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup rice flour
½ teaspoon salt
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Cover bottoms of two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, lavender with an electric mixer. Mix until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add all purpose flour, rice flour and salt and beat until incorporated. Divide dough in half. Flatten into squares and wrap in plastic. Chill until firm. On a floured board, roll each square to a thickness of 3/8 inch. Cut with cookie cutters and place onto baking sheets, spacing cookies about 1 inch apart. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until pale golden around the edges. Cool then transfer to a rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Store in an air tight container.
Photo from ilovemilkandcookies.blogspot.ca
Here’s fabulous way to turn turkey leftovers into a delicious lunchtime meal
2 Cups of leftover turkey diced
2 Essex County Granny Smith apples diced
1 stalk of celery chopped
2 teaspoons of red onion diced
4 cups of mixed lettuce greens
Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons Balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove of garlic minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon dried Serenity Lavender’s Culinary lavender
salt & pepper
Instructions:
Combine the dressing ingredients into a jar. Shake and let stand for 30 minutes. Prepare the remaining salad ingredients. Place into a bowl and toss.
Photography Credit: Elise Bauer
This recipe is simple and delicious! A sure hit at your next party.
Ingredients:
1 pkg cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup of cheddar cheese (shredded)
1/4 cup goat or sheep gouda (shredded)
1Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon Serenity Lavender’s Herbes de Provence
Instructions: Place the cheddar cheese in a food processor and gradually add the cream cheese until all cheese is smooth. Add the Dijon and herbes mix until blended. Take our of the food processor using a spatula (it will be sticky) and place in pile on a piece of parchment paper. Place in fridge for approximately 40 minutes. 
Take out and roll into a either a large ball or smaller ones. Garnish with nuts or a tablespoon of Serenity’s herbes de provence. Serve with crackers and some North 42 Degrees Estate Winery Pinot Noir! Cheers
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 300 ml can of sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp ground lavender
3 Tbsp melted butter
Combine all ingredients into a double boiler. Sir constantly until chocolate is melted and smooth. Place in a 8×8 ” lined pan and cool overnight in the refrigerator until firm. Cut into pieces and top with fresh lavender, a sprinkle of lavender salt or cocoa powder
Makes 20 small pieces.
Yes, it is that time of year again when we gather round the big screen television to watch the superbowl. Or for those who are not football fans at the least the half time show. This North American tradition has become something more – its a celebration of friendship, family and food. That food is usually pizza, wings and all kinds of snack foods but why not shake it up a bit and try something with a twist of lavender- yes I said lavender. Here’s a recipe that we love with the added zest and herbal flavours of lavender.
Ingredients:
1 cup of pecans
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup Sugar
2 dried red chile peppers
2 tsp lavender
Method:
Combine the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat constantly stirring to avoid the sugar from burning. Add the pecans and return to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Arrange the pecans evenly on a baking sheet. Bake at 250 degrees until the pecans start to lightly brown.
Cool and serve.
At Serenity Lavender Farm we love this time of year. As winter sets in and days get cooler, its hard to imagine not having a delicious bowl of soup. We’ve put a twist on an old time favourite- Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 Tbsp Serenity Lavender culinary lavender
1/4 cup water
3 cups chicken stock
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 c chopped onion
1/4 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
Instructions
Bring dried lavender blossoms and water to boiling. Remove from heat and allow mixture to steep 10 minutes. Strain liquid, discarding blossoms. Set lavender infusion aside.
In a saucepan combine chicken stock, onion, garlic, pumpkin, thyme. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, whisk in lavender insfusion and whip cream. Season with salt and ground peppercorns
Ladle soup into warm bowls. Garnish each with a spoonful of sour cream and, if desired, dried lavender.
This recipe yields 4 servings.
