I know Fridays are supposed to be for my Food Network love, but I’m working on finding another food related meme to use, because I think this one is too commercial.
Instead, we’re going to take a look at the Herb of the Week over at Herbs, Spice, and Everything Nice. Betcha can’t guess what it is? Yep, that’s right: Lavender. I found this post intriguing because I associate lavender with smelling good, sleeping well, and relaxing in general. Like most people, hubby and I associate lavender with its scent, and don’t really think “food.”
Cooking with lavender is something we’ve not really considered. As a member of the mint family like basil, it goes well with both sweet dishes, and savory ones.Though we have yet to try it personally, we learned that it can go well with chicken and beef. It’s also an excellent addition to many sweet treats… and we may just have to steal the lavender syrup idea for the next time we have french toast or waffles. I’m so intrigued, I may even have to look into lavender infused honey!
Here are some tips when you’re cooking with lavender:
- Don’t eat plants from nurseries. They likely have pesticides on them.
- Use 1/3 dried to fresh. Fresh herbs have less concentrated flavor.
- Remember, a little goes a long way. Too much will leave a perfumy taste in your food!
- Taste, taste, taste. Add a little at time.
- Use it in place of rosemary in many recipes.
- It compliments well with: fennel, oregano, thyme, savory, rosemary, and sage.
Want to learn more?
Have you ever used lavender in your cooking? What did you think?
That sounds interesting. I can’t wait to hear how you like it!