The taste of lavender is reminiscent of its scent—an exotic blend of heady, sweet pine, camphor, and rosemary with a touch of eucalyptus thrown in. It complements rich creams, oils, butter, and eggs and that makes it perfect for ice cream and all kinds of baked products such as cookies, shortbread, and cheesecake. It is also used in cream soups and dressings.
When experimenting with lavender for the first time in cooking, use an organic L. angustifolia variety and use it sparingly, tasting often before adding more.
Here are some recipes to get you started right away. You can also order an herb/recipe package from Purple Haze Lavender containing about 1/4 cup each of organic dried lavender and dried herbes de Provence blend along with seven of their favorite recipes. Remember that when substituting dried lavender where fresh is called for in a recipe, use half the amount of dried.
Lavender Recipes
• Strawberry-Lavender Spritzer
• Sweet Potato Crisps with Lavender Aioli
• Lavender Aioli
• Lavender Marinated Chicken and Mizuna Salad with Kiwi-Lavender Vinaigrette
• Celebrate Lavender Festival Salad
• Lavender-Laced Grilled Salmon
• Herbes de Provence
• Lavender Bread Pudding