Recipes and Cooking with Lavender

Lavender is very versatile and should be used with caution. Experiment first with smaller amounts - too much will taste bitter and soapy. Other than that, jump right into your adventure of broadening your culinary expertise.

Lavender pairs beautifully with citrus. The French have known that for a long time, and the Romans even longer. History tells us about lavender-flavored honeys and jellies dating back to ancient times.

In these days, upscale gourmet restaurants feature gorgeous salad creations, beautifully garnished with lavender flowers. One can order delectable lavender-scented creme brulees, pots de cremes, and ice creams. Savory entrees such a lamb preparations are often enhanced with an herb coating that includes dried lavender buds.

A member of the mint family, lavender combines well with rosemary, thyme, sage, fennel and oregano.

Lavender is one of Mother Nature's greatest "inventions", as it works both ways: stimulating and sedating, according to your current needs.

For cooking, the most commonly used variety with the sweetest fragrance is the English Lavender (lat. angustifolia). As we know, drying increases the potency over the fresh flower. Use only about one third of the suggested fresh flower amount when working with a dried product.

A word of caution: Never use lavender from nurseries or garden shops for consumption. It may contain pesticides! Always purchase culinary lavender, fresh or in dried form at lavender farms, health food stores, or from reputable online merchants.

Well, are you ready? Let's get cooking!

Goat Cheese Lavender Tartlets

Blend in food processor:

10 ounces soft mild goat cheese
3/4 cup cottage cheese
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup flour
1 stick softened butter
1 Tblsp chopped mixed herbs: thyme, rosemary, lavender
Save another 1 Tblsp for later.

Fill about a dozen or more individual frozen 3-inch tartlet shells and bake for about 20 min. or until just set, at 350F.
Sprinkle the reserved chopped herbs on the tartlets and bake a few minutes longer until golden brown.

Lavender Olive Crostini

Coarsely chop 1 cup mixed, pitted (!) olives (green, black) in mini food processor, together with 1 tsp dried lavender flowers and 1 tsp white truffle oil. Spread on warm toast points and serve immediately.

Citrus Lavender Vinaigrette

Combine in a blender:

2 Tblsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tblsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tblsp red wine
2 Tblsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tblsp grainy mustard
1 Tblsp Agasweet Lavender (see info below)
1 teasp fresh (or 1/2 tsp dried) lavender leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Avocado Grape and Lavender Dressing

1 shallot, peeled, quartered
2 cloves garlic
juice of 1 lemon or lime
1/3 cup champagne vinegar
flesh of 1 medium avocado
8-10 red or green grapes
1 tablespoon Agasweet Lavender
1/2 teaspoon dried lavender
1 jalapeño, seeded and quartered
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup oil or cream (rich, baby!)

Run all ingredients except for the oil in a blender until smooth;
with the blender running, add the oil or cream
in a steady stream until emulsified and finished.

Bacon Lavender Mustard Dressing

1 pound bacon
1 cup stone ground mustard
3/4 cup champagne vinegar
3/4 cup Agasweet Lavender

Cut bacon in small strips and fry until crisp.
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Agave syrup has a low glycemic index rating (32), which means it absorbs slowly into the blood stream and does not cause a "sugar rush".

It is 1.4 times sweeter than sugar. 1 cup sugar = 1/2 - 2/3 cups Agasweet. Save calories and carbs!

Agasweet retains its sweetening power in cooking and baking and provides moisture retention properties. It has a long shelf life (3+ years), and no refrigeration is necessary. It will never crystallize.

Our top-quality flavoring ingredients create a simply divine taste experience. You will find that our well-balanced flavors add a whole new dimension to your dishes.

Many savory recipes address only some of your taste buds - usually salty, bitter (pepper), and sour. With Agasweet, you add "sweet" to the flavor profile of your dishes combined with enhancing citrus, stimulating mint, soothing cinnamon, or adventurous lavender. You'll awaken all taste buds simultaneously, and the result is a flavor explosion in your mouth!

The wild agave plants for our base syrup are grown on small parcels of privately-owned, strictly controlled Indian land in Mexico.

The nectar is harvested from the core of the mature plant and cooked into a light syrup. For more in-depth info on the agave plant, harvest and production methods, please see my companion lens: Agave Nectar.

The purity of our syrup is ensured through regular USDA Organic certification by BioAgriCert.

Pour 1 cup of Agasweet Lavender in a medium bowl.

Add some or all of the following ingredients, according to your personal taste. Start with a little, taste, and then add more if you like...

Roasted Garlic mashed with a little sea salt
Chipotle Peppers in Adobe Sauce chopped
Fresh Thyme chopped
Fresh Rosemary chopped
Orange or Lemon segments skinned, chopped
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Roasted Shallots chopped
Red Onion finely minced

Mix all ingredients well and brush on grilled seafood, chicken, ham, and lamb roast.

Tip 1: Use as a base spread for sandwiches
Tip 2: Don't drink!

Lavender Tomato Soup

The flavor and texture of this soup depends on three essentials: seasonally ripe tomatoes, good bread and the quality and strength of your personal Lavender Glaze. The recipe is simple.

1 1/2 pounds of vine ripened tomatoes, skins removed and quartered
3 cups chicken stock
Some open textured white bread, crusts removed
1/2 cup of YOUR Lavender Glaze
A few sprinkles of dried lavender buds

Put the tomatoes in a large pan, with the Lavender Glaze and stock. Bring to a simmer and allow flavors to mingle, 6 - 8 minutes. Stir in the bread and serve with a few lavender buds. Good white bread becomes silky smooth in a soup like this and brings much comfort.

Lavender Grilled Salmon

3 pounds of Salmon Filet
4 Tbsp Honey
6 Tbsp Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Lavender, crushed
1/4 c White Wine
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp Lime or Lemon Juice

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 a sauce. When sauce has cooled slightly, brush on salmon filet. Reserve some of the sauce for later (don't touch it with the basting brush!)

Grill or bake salmon until lightly flaky (don't overcook), about 10 minutes, basting with sauce. Pour more of the reserved sauce over the finished fish.

See my salmon cooking video tutorial below for instructions. I'll also show you how to cook wild duck, properly!

Use the salmon baste or the lavender glaze from above for grilled shrimp, tuna, and most other seafood dishes.

Lavender Bread

3 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water (120F)
1 cup buttermilk1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lavender blossoms, finely chopped
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon salt6 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
coarse salt, for sprinkling on loaves
spray bottle filled with cold water, for spritzing loaves

Combine yeast and lukewarm water until well blended and let sit about 10 minutes; it should look foamy and thick (if your water was too hot or your yeast is bad, it will not get foamy and you'll need to start over).

Combine buttermilk, oil, lavender, 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp salt in a mixer bowl, then add the yeast mixture and combine well.

Add flour gradually, beating slowly until enough flour has been added to form a dough ball that leaves the sides of the bowl in one mass.

Dump any remaining flour onto a flat surface, dump dough onto that surface, and with floured hands knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes.

Set dough into a large greased bowl, flip dough over to grease both sides, cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk- about 1 1/2 hours.

Once dough has risen, place it onto a floured surface and cut into equal halves and form each half into a round loaf shape.

Set loaves onto a large greased baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Cover with a clean, slightly damp towel and let rise 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Slash the top of each loaf with a serrated knife.
Bake in center of the preheated oven for 15 minutes, spritzing occasionally (at least 2-3 times).

Continue baking another 45-55 minutes (no more spritzing) or until the loaves sounds hollow when rapped on the bottom and they appear golden brown.
Let cool on racks completely.

Lavender Drop Cookies

Makes: 36 cookies
12 sprigs fresh lavender
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar, or 1/4 cup Agasweet Lavender
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
grated rind of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
hazelnuts to decorate

Preheat oven at 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Peel off lavender florets. Cream butter and sugar. Add lemon zest, juice and vanilla. Beat in egg. Blend in dry ingredients. Dough will be sticky.
Drop by teaspoon onto the cookie sheet. Top with hazelnuts. Bake 15 minutes until light gold.

Lavender Currant Scones

2 cups Pastry flour
1/4 cup baker's sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt (coarse kosher salt)
1/3 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. orange zest
1 tsp. dried lavender or 2 tsp. fresh lavender
1/2 cup currants
2 Tbsp. whipping cream or 1 egg white (beaten)

Preheat oven to 375. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder & salt together (sift). Use a pastry blender and add the cold butter until the consistency is coarse and crumbly. Add 1 cup whipping cream, stirring just until moistened. Now add the half cup of currants, lavender, and orange zest. Turn out on lightly floured surface, and knead 4 or 5 times (don't overwork your dough). Chill for 30 min. Roll out 3/4 inch thick and cut with round biscuit cutter. Place each scone about 2 inches apart on a non-stick baking sheet that has been covered with parchment paper. Brush the tops of the scones with the remaining 2 Tbsp. of whipping cream or egg white. Sprinkle with sugar and a few lavender flowers. Bake at 375 for 15 min. or until golden brown. Serve warm with Devonshire cream and jam. Yields: 1 dozen.

Agave nectar has a unique quality- it brings out the flavors of whatever you combine it with. That means, in passionate and deeply emotional terms:

"Drizzle some Agasweet Lavender over strawberries, blueberries, or any other fruit, and you will, I say you WILL reach a state of nirwana. It is so good! Not only will you have a complete fruit tasting experience, the leftover juices are simply divine!"

"I swear." April 21, 2008 Austin, Texas
-Chef Keem

Use sparingly over cheeses. Too much is not good. A generous little bit is absolutely fantastic!

Lavender Ice Cream

2 cups raw milk (or pasteurized whole milk)
2 cups heavy cream
1 cups Agasweet Lavender agave syrup
1 teasp dried lavender
7 egg whites*
3/4 cup peach puree (optional)

1. Combine milk and heavy cream in medium sauce pot with dried lavender; bring to a boil, then allow to steep for 15 minutes. Strain and return milk and cream to sauce pot and bring back to a boil.

2. Whisk together egg whites with agave syrup, then pour one half in the milk/cream mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking all the while.

3. Combine egg mixture with milk/cream in sauce pot over low heat and continue whisking until the custard thickens - this will take a bit longer with the egg whites. If you have a thermometer, note that the custard will be sufficiently cooked and set at 85 degrees Celsius.

4. Remove custard from heat, strain into another bowl and cool down in an ice bath.

5. When the custard is cooled, it can be spun in the ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions, but it's best to hold the custard overnight in the refrigerator before spinning so that the components can meld together.

6. Before storing the ice cream, fold in the peach puree to create a "ripple" effect, then eat immediately or allow to set up in the freezer for at least two hours.

7. This ice cream can be stored for up to a week, although it's best when eaten within two days of spinning.

* egg whites create a lighter-tasting product, with the same body as a custard-based ice cream