Organic Lavender buds are culinary, and can be shipped in the mail because they are dried. I hope you find a recipe that piques your interest, and you order some organic Lavender buds! If you don’t have a spice grinder, please indicate that, and we’ll grind it for you!  Whether you use ground lavender or whole buds is a personal preference; you can try a recipe both ways to see which way you like best!

Lavender is an aromatic plant, so versatile that cooks are developing a passion for it in new and exciting cuisines.  So be sure to order some organic lavender & surprise your friends and family with lavender treats like these:

MARINATED LAMB CHOPS WITH LAVENDER

1/2 cup of chopped mint
1/4 cup of orange juice
1/4 cup of soy sauce
2 tsp Fort Hill Farms organic lavender
Mix above ingredients and marinate four shoulder lamb chops 30 minutes.  Grill 8-9 minutes.

SPINACH AND ENDIVE SALAD WITH LAVENDER LEMON-GINGER DRESSING

Dressing
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 tblsp  fresh lemon juice
1 tblsp grated fresh ginger
1 tblsp apple jelly
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried organic lavender from Fort Hill Farms

In a small pan, combine the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, ginger, jelly and mustard. Whisk over low heat until dressing is warmed through and completely blended.  Cool to room temperature and stir in the lavender.

Salad

2 peaches
2 Belgian endives
4 c. packed baby spinach
1 c. organic blueberries from Fort Hill Farms
1 tblsp chopped chives

Peel, pit and slice peaches.  Place in a small bowl and add half of the dressing. Toss to combine. Halve the endives and cut lengthwise into long slivers. Place in a large bowl and add spinach.  Add remaining dressing and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving platter and arrange the peach slices decoratively over the greens.  Sprinkle with blueberries and chives. Makes 4 servings.

LAVENDER LEMON BUTTERED CARROTS

2 pounds of medium carrots, peeled
1 cup of water
1 1/2 tsp organic lavender
1 lemon
3 tblsp unsalted butter
2 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp lemon thyme or thyme
2 tblsp Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp white pepper

Cut the carrots on the diagonal into half-inch slices. Place in a pan with the water and lavender.  Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the liquid. Grate the zest off the lemon. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from one half into a cup. Cut the remaining half into thin slices.

Heat butter and oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, until soft but not brown. Add carrots, the reserved liquid, thyme, lemon zest, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the parsley. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 minute. Season with the salt and pepper. Decoratively arrange the lemon slices over the carrots and sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Serves six.

ORANGES AND RASPBERRIES WITH LAVENDER HONEY AND YOGURT

1 c. honey
1 tblsp organic lavender
4 c. orange sections
2 c. fresh raspberries
1 tblsp grated orange rind
4 c vanilla frozen yogurt

Combine honey and lavender in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat 20 minutes.  Remove from heat; cool. Pour mixture through a sieve over a small bowl; discard solids.

Combine orange sections, raspberries, rind, and a half-cup of lavender honey in a large bowl; toss to coat. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Spoon fruit mixture over frozen yogurt.  Drizzle with remaining half-cup of lavender honey.  Garnish with fresh lavender.  Serves 8.

LAVENDER LEMON COOKIES

2 tsp organic lavender
1 tblsp plus 3/4 cup sugar
1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 1/4 teaspoons of grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1 1/4 teaspoons of salt
1 1/4 cups of flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Lavender lemon syrup
Lavender sprinkling sugar

Combine lavender and 1 tblsp of the sugar and mix well. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the butter and the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in egg, lemon zest and vanilla.

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mixture and beat until blended. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight, until dough is well chilled.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into 2 long logs (1-inch thick). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up the dough for slicing.

Prepare the lavender lemon syrup. Combine 1 tblsp organic lavender and 1 tblsp sugar and mix well. Transfer to a small pan.  Stir in 3/4 cup of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of light corn syrup or honey, 1 tblsp. lemon zest, and 3/4 cup sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Cook for 1 minute, or until sugar is dissolved.  Set aside to cool.

Prepare the lavender sprinkling sugar. Combine 1/2 teaspoon organic lavender and 1 tblsp sugar and mix well.  Transfer to a small bowl and stir in 1/2 cup sugar less 1 tablespoon.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Slice the logs into half-inch coins and place on the baking sheets. Generously coat topside of the cookies with the syrup. Dust the sprinkling sugar. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven 8-12 minutes. 50 cookies.

The scent of Lavender triggers a genetic memory–a fragrance of ancient civilizations that we immediately recognize, even when we smell it for the first time. People have been cutting Lavender for 26,000 years; the scent is in our genetic memory. It brings us back to nature and transcends time.

Lavender Lemon Cake

3 c. cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
16 Tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbsp dried lavender flowers from Fort Hill Farms
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp pure lemon extract
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar plus some for dusting
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Have all ingredients at room temperature. Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a decorative bundt or cake pan; tap out excess flour. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper; set aside.

In bowl of  electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 30 sec. Add granulated sugar and lavender and beat until light and fluffy, 3-5 min.; stop mixer and scrape bowl occasionally. Add eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition; add lemon and vanilla extracts.

On very low speed, add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with yogurt and ending with flour; blend each addition until just incorporated. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl occasionally. Fold in lemon zest.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and spread batter so the outside edge is about 1″ higher than the inside edge. Bake until cake springs back when touched and pulls away from sides of pan, 55-60 min. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely in pan, 1-2 hours. Turn cake out onto a wire rack set over waxed paper.

In small sauce pan over low heat, warm honey 30-45 sec.

Put 1/2 c. confectioners’ sugar in bowl; pour honey and lemon juice over sugar; stir to blend. Using a pastry brush, brush cake with glaze and let stand at room temperature until ready to serve. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving. Serves 16.

Lavender Ice Cream

Taste the flavors and aromas of the season– ‘take it slow, find beauty in the moment’ .

1/2c. organic Lavender buds
2c. The Farmer’s Cow milk
2c. heavy cream
8 egg yolks
3/4c. gran. sugar
12 slices lemon
zest of 2 lemons
12 sprigs organic Lavender
In saucepan, combine Lavender buds, lemon zest, milk, cream. Bring to boil. Steep 20mins. Whisk together egg yolks & sugar. Whisk 1c. hot cream into egg mix.

  In steady stream, slowly add egg mixture to hot cream mixture. Cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat, cool completely. Add mix to electric ice cream maker & process according to manuf. directions.  Garnish w/lemon slices and Fort Hill Farms LAVENDER SPRIGS! Yields 1 qt.

Heavenly Lavender Tarts
For the crust: 1  1/2c.flour

1/4t. salt

1 t. organic Lavender petals

1/2c. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 egg yolk

4 T. ice water

Butter for greasing tart pan

For the filling: 1 pound cream cheese, softened

10oz. goat cheese

2 eggs

1 t. organic Lavender petals

1/4 t. dried Thyme

1t.Parsley

1/2 c. pine nuts

To prepare crust: in mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, Lavender flowers. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pieces of butter. Make a well in middle and add egg yolk & water.

Using fork, draw flour and butter mixture into the liquid from the sides, working more in gradually until dough forms. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap & chill for30mins. Lightly grease a 10-inch tart pan w/butter. On lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out evenly to fit into the tart pan & transfer to the pan. Chill for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.   Prick holes in bottom of tart shell & prebake 15mins. To prepare filling: In large bowl, beat together goat cheese, cream cheese, Lavender, Thyme, parsley, till smooth. Beat in eggs. Chop pine nuts & fold into batter.

Spoon batter into prebaked tart shell, bake at 350 for 35 minutes till filling has risen slightly. Cool to room temp. Cut into 12 slices. Enjoy the Heavenly taste & smell of Lavender–the fragrance people have known since the 1200′s!

Lavender Blueberry Banana Bread

1 stick butter

2/3 c sugar

2  eggs

1 c all-purpose flour

1 T. organic lavender buds, finely ground in spice grinder

1 tsp bak. soda

½ tsp salt

1 c whole wheat flour

3 bananas, mashed

1 ¼ c organic blueberries

½ c walnuts, chopped

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9×5-inch loaf pan.Combine butter & sugar. Beat with elect. mixer til fluffy. Add eggs, beat well. Sift flour, lavender, baking soda & salt in bowl. Stir in whole wheat flour. Beat into butter mixture. Fold in bananas, blueberries, walnuts, vanilla. Pour into pan. Bake 55mins. Cool in pan 10 mins. Remove from  pan, cool on rack.

LAVENDER CHICKEN