Lavender Festival 2023
It’s that time of year again – Calling all Artists and Artisans for Lavender Festival! The beautiful sunshine today reminds us of the wonderful weather we had for Lavender Festival last year and all your smiling faces. We are looking forward to another great Festival in 2023! avender Festival will be held on Saturday June 25th and Sunday June 26th, 10-5 pm each day.
All works must be original, All applications (see the link below) together with payment and photos must be received by April 20th by either email, hand delivered or snail mail.
We can’t wait to see you!!!
Welcome Back!
It’s been a long wait but we’re back with over 30 artists and artrisans, a great line up of musicians, craft demos, lavender tours, some delicious food and drinks and of course the star of the show Lavender!
The lavender had a rough spring but the little buds are filling in and starting to pop just in time for the festival.
Date and Time of Lavender Festival
June
24, 2022 1-4 pm
June 25, 2022 10am-5pm
June 26, 2022 10am- 5 pm
Location of the Festival
130 County Road 50 East, Harrow , Ontario. We share our home with our sister company North 42 Degrees Estate Winery
Schedule of Events
Thank you for joining us for Lavender Festival 2022 and helping us celebrate all things Lavender!
This year we are offering a photo contest. Stay tuned for details and watch for signs on how you can enter around the farm!
FRIDAY
1:00 pm Festival Opens
2:30 pm Lavender Tour (free)
Meet at the Peace Garden/Labrinyth
7:00 pm Dine Among the Lavender –
A Culinary Experience
Using the finest ingredients from wagu beef to truffles Executive Chef Cameron has woven a tapestry of flavours to celebrate the long awaited return of Lavender Festival.
This exclusive 5 course interactive wine pairing dinner showcases our team’s culinary talents and artistic creativity. It is truly a culinary experience. Each course is served with an award winning, North 42 Degrees wine, including some from Martin and Suzanne’s private cellar, that has been carefully selected to pair with each dish.
Chef Cameron will then join you to take you through the inspiring journey of how the food was selected, prepared and plated and you will also learn about the wines.
This exclusive dinner experience is limited to 24 guests. The cost is $150.00 pp+Hst + gratuity. Advance reservations are required. Seats can be reserved by calling the winery at 519 738-6111.
SATURDAY
10:00 am Festival Opens
10:30 am Lavender Tour (free)
Meet at the Peace Garden/Labrinyth
11:00 am Live Music – James Stately
-3:00 pm Grab some food, wine/beer and enjoy under the music tent
11:30 am Crafting Demo
Come see what Suzanne is making with Lavender.
Meet at Serenity Lavender’s tent
12:30 pm Lavender Tour (free)
Meet at the Peace Garden/Labrinyth
1:00 pm Paint and Sip Class with Rico Dancel
Sign up by calling us at 519 738-6111 $55 pp and you’ll receive a complementary glass of wine and go home with your own masterpiece – Rustic Lavender
Prepaid tickets – meet under the canopy
1:30 pm Decoupage Demo
Meet at the Serenity Lavender tent
2:00 pm Lavender Tour (free)
Meet at the Peace Garden/Labrinyth
3:00 pm Live Music- Aaron Furlotte
-5:00 pm Grab some food, wine/beer and enjoy under the music tent
3:oo pm Wreath Making Demo
Meet at the Serenity Lavender booth
SUNDAY
10:30 am Lavender Tour (free)
Lavender tour group learning the various aromas of lavender
Meet at the Peace Garden/Labrinyth
11:00 am Live Music – Eric Bellis
-3:00 pm Grab some food, wine/beer and enjoy under the music tent
12:00 pm Wreath Making Demo
Meet at the Serenity Lavender tent
12:30 pm Lavender Tour (free)
Meet at the Peace Garden/Labrinyth
1:00 pm Paint and Sip Class with Rico Dancel
Sign up by calling us at 519 738-6111 $55 pp and you’ll receive a complementary glass of wine and go home with your own masterpiece – Rustic Lavender
Prepaid tickets – meet under the canopy
1:30 pm Decoupage Demo
Meet at the Serenity Lavender tent
2:00 pm Lavender Tour (free)
Meet at the Peace Garden/Labrinyth
3:oo pm Flower arranging Demo
Meet at the Serenity Lavender tent
Children’s Activities
All 3 days
Wishing Tree, Chalk Art, Colour Me Now
Scavenger Hunt
Saturday and Sunday 11:30 Story Time under the Wishing Tree
Thank you for your smiles and continued support of Serenity Lavender and Lavender Festival!
Call for Artists and Artisans
The beautiful sunshine today reminds us of the wonderful weather we had for Lavender Festival we had in 2019 (although a tad warmer) and afger a 2 year absence we are sooooo excited to announce that Lavender Festival will be held on June 24th, 25th and 26th. It’s that time, we are calling for artists and artisans to be part of our wonderful festival!
The last year we ran the Festival was amazing with record breaking attendance and 36 vendors but we still have room to grow.
The date is Friday, June 24th from 1- 4 pm Saturday, June 25th & Sunday, June 28th from 10 am -5 pm
All works must be original, All applications (see the link below) together with payment and photos must be received by April 20th by either email, hand delivered or snail mail.
We’d love to see you!
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
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Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
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Rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture; this will ensure the skin gets nice and crispy
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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.
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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.
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Arrange the lemon, garlic cloves, tomatoes and shallots around the chicken, then add the dry red wine to the pan.
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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.
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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!
Our bees have been busy this year and we have once again we have lavender honey!
What’s the buzz? A worker bee gathers in her entire life 0.8 gram (0.0288 ounce) of honey and it requires 556 worker bees and a million flowers to gather a pound of honey. Bees normally fly once around the world to gather enough nectar for that pound of honey but we make it a bit easier for them by placing our hives in our lavender production field. Still, that’s a lot of flowers.
Bees at work at Serenity Lavender
Raw honey has been used as a folk remedy throughout history. But those old wives tales are true and honey has a variety of health benefits and medical uses. It’s chocked full of antioxidants, is heart healthy and tastes delicious too!
The bees arrived back on our property on June 7th and we have 8 hives this year. The bees were very busy with 2 blooms this summer and our first batch of honey was extracted on July 21st.
Taste the pure goodness of raw lavender honey
Lavender honey in the making
Sooooo golden in colour and the delicate floral scent of lavender flows through this pleasant, well balanced and rounded honey.
Our bees make terrific lavender honey – not infused
Lavender honey comb
And we just stocked our shelves with some gorgeous honeycomb. Eating honeycomb is one way to enjoy the full fruits of our bees’ labour. To produce one pound of wax the bees consume 6-8 lbs of honey. The wax is edible and honeycomb contains not just honey but also pollen and sometimes royal jelly. It’s the perfect addition to a bowl of oatmeal in the morning and you’ll find it on our charcuterie boards at the Bistro 42.
We’ll be saying goodbye to our bees soon as the evenings cool but we thought we’d share this old family recipe as our bee season winds down and they go into hibernation.
Polish Honey Spice Cookies (Pierniczki)
Ingredients
1 c sugar
¼ c water
1 c honey
2 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp nutmeg
4 tsp butter
4 c flour
1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup warm water
Icing
1 c confectioner’s sugar
1-2 Tbsp water depending on the thickness of the icing you want (glazed or piped)
½ teaspoon almond or peppermint extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a saucepan measure out 2 Tbsp of sugar and ¼ cup of water stir until dissolved and carmelize over gentle heat stirring until it begins to turn a golden brown colour. Add the remaining sugar, honey, spices and butter. Stir continuously until the mixture begins to boil. Remove from the stovetop and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl beat the egg and mix in the flour, baking soda and water. Blend in the sugar add spice mixture . Knead the dough until smooth. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rest 20 minutes.
On a flour dusted countertop roll out the dough into a rectangle. Cut the dough into shapes using your favourite cookie cutters and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Let cookies cool. Ice the cookies.
Smacznego!
A perfect day for a cup of tea…. we’re tasting some new teas and can’t wait to share our new releases with you! Of course they are all blended with our own lavender grown locally at Serenity Lavender Farm. The flavours of our culinary lavender varieties are matched to enhance the flavours of the tea. We grow a number of varietals that are unique to Ontario and Canada. So, coconut ice with it’s spearmint flavours and aromas are a perfect match to our Spearmint tea, which incidently is a great tea to help with digestion. All of teas are fair trade and where possible organically grown. We are always looking for recommendations.
So,what’s your favourite tea?
Music, Art, Food, Wine, and of course, Lavender, all at the 2017 Lavender Festival!
Serenity Lavender Farm will hold its 5th annual Lavender Festival on the grounds of the farm and North 42 Degrees Estate Winery.
Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25
10am- 5pm
Admission is free.
This weekend celebration offers a wide selection of activities and tours. Plus, the beautiful lavender fields make for inspiring photographs.
Experience Serenity Lavender Farm in bloom!
Serenity Lavender Farm will host artisans, cooking demonstrations, Tai Chi, wine tours, the Stilt Guys, and lavender tours. Featured artisans include:
ª Robert Bishop Art ª Simon Steeps Tea
ª Ring Weaver ª CHC Beeswax Candles
ª Ravyn Ouellette ª Garage Art Glass
ª Transform Treasures ª Silver Such
ª Bent Art ª David’s Woodworking
Food by Bistro 42 Executive Chef Steve Meehan and live music rounds out this not-to-be-missed weekend! Face painting and activities for children round out this family-friendly weekend.
Come help us celebrate Lavender Bloom 2017! A Scentsational Experience!
It’s time to start the holiday baking around here and one of our family favourites is Lavender Shortbread. These buttery, tender morsels accented with a hint of floral and citrus flavours of Serenity’s culinary lavender are so irresistible, that’s its hard to keep them around until the holidays.
Ingredients:
1 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup of sugar
1 cup rice flour
3 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 teaspoons ground Serenity Culinary lavender
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Cream together butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Sift together the dry ingredients. Mix together the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Spoon dough using a small ice cream scoop onto a parchment lined pan leaving about 2 inches between cookies and press using a fork. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the bottoms are lightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
Makes about 40 cookies.
