This week, my foodspiration comes to you from my favourite ingredient. Lavender.
For those of you who know that I make and sell lavender jam, I promise that this isn’t a sales pitch! Though if you want to buy my jam… I won’t complain! No, lavender is destined to become the spice that you didn’t know was missing from your life. The scent, the taste – it is incomparable. The best I can do is compare it to mint because it fills the senses with perfume and enhances both sweet and savoury dishes.
I know that I’m a rather eccentric little odd duck, but if you don’t trust my recommendation… Queen Elizabeth I insisted on eating lavender jam with her breakfast toast wherever she travelled, Queen Victoria loved lavender above all other scents, Jesus washed his feet with it… lavender has flavoured and fragranced our history for two and a half thousand years.
Step one: The Salad
The key to a good salad for me, is having fresh, ripe ingredients that are filled with flavour.
I never understand people who serve a caprese salad where the mozarella and tomatoes are straight from the fridge.
Mozarella should be just above room temperature to be meltingly soft and tomatoes should taste of the sun – fresh from the vine, warm and very lightly salted, they are perfection.
Some of the nicest salads however are nothing but beautifully dressed leaves, and this lavender vinaigrette really is wonderful with peppery salad leaves like rocket and watercress.
Step two: The indulgent snack
Lavender scones are without a doubt my go-to afternoon tea component. With a splodge of my lavender jam and some clotted cream, these really are mouth-wateringly fabulous, just tinged with a sweet breath of lavender.
Step three: The Soup
My favourite kinds of soups are thick, smooth and comforting and this leek, potato & lavender soup gives an exotic twist to an old favourite. I like to use purple potatoes to give it a vibrant twist – a natural use of colour that your kids might like!
Step four: The side dish
The perfect partner to lavender is rosemary, so whether I’m glazing a rack of lamb or glazing vegetables, I always put these two together. The sweetness of carrots is the perfect vehicle for a lavender rosemary glaze. Om nom nom.
Step five: The Meal
Carrying on from the lavender and rosemary romance, this stew is rapturously rich. Lavender and rosemary flavoured lamb, a thick gravy made with a caramelised onion base and soft vegetables. This really is breathtaking.
Step six: The pudding
From lavender custard, lavender ice-cream, lavender jelly, lavender madelines, lavender marshmallows and lavender and white chocolate cookies – there aren’t many puddings that I make without my infamous lavender touch, but apple & lavender crumble is one of the best things that I have ever created. To say it’s such a simple, classic pudding, a crumble is a crowd pleaser, though I think using my lavender custard is a wee bit too much lavender!
So there you have it. How to be innovative with lavender in six stages! If you want to try more lavender recipes, go to Everything Goes With Toast.