Lavender Recipes
Lavender can flatter the palate, but it has to be used sparingly. A few pinches are enough. Dried flowers can also be used in herbal teas, vinaigrettes, desserts, chocolate and creams, or sprinkled onto grilled food, blended with other herbes de Provence, or to flavour soup. 
Lavender Ice Cream
Ingredients
Serves: 4
6 (8cm) stems lavender
280ml full fat milk
4 medium egg yolks
90g caster sugar
1/2 tablespoon glycerine (optional)
284ml double cream
Prep:50min › Cook:10min › Extra time:14hr cooling › Ready in:15hr
Chop the lavender into 1cm pieces.
Place in a heavy-bottomed saucepan together with the milk and heat until just below boiling point. Remove from hob and cool.
When cold put in the fridge and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavour to infuse.
Next day, warm the milk and lavender once more, ensuring the milk does not boil. Strain.
Beat egg yolks and sugar together, then pour the warmed milk slowly in, stirring all the time.
Put the mixture into a clean, heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir over a low heat until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil or it will curdle.
Leave to cool. Stir in the glycerine, if using.
Strain the custard through a sieve lined with muslin or a clean J-cloth.
If you have an ice-cream maker, stir the double cream into the custard, transfer to the ice-cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.
If you do not have an ice-cream maker, lightly whip the cream and fold into the custard.
Pour into a shallow, freezer-proof container, freeze for about 30 minutes, then stir.
Repeat 3 or more times or until the ice cream is set.
Tip
Go out and buy an ice cream maker; it makes life so much easier.
Shortcut
Use custard powder to make the custard to make this recipe a lot quicker to prepare.
Savory Cheese Biscuits
1 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons self-raising flour
125 g butter chopped
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 cup grated tasty chedder cheese
1 tablespoon Bridestowe ‘Herbes de Provence'
1 tablespoon (approx) water
Sift dry ingredients into medium bowl, rub in butter. Stir in cheeses and Bridestowe ‘Herbes de Provence’. Mix enough water to make a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth.
Shape dough into a log. Wrap tightly in foil and refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut roll into 5mm thick rounds and place 3cm apart on tray. Bake in moderate oven for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on trays.
Lavender Jelly
2kg granny smith apples
3 fresh lavender sprigs
2 lemons chopped
1 cup white vinegar
Caster Sugar
2 tsp lavender leaves
Place apple, lavender sprigs and lemons and 2 litres of water in a pan. Bring to boil, then simmer over medium-low heat for 45 minutes. Add vinegar and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into a colander lined a clean Chux over a large bowl. Drain overnight.
Discard pulp, then measure strained juice into a saucepan, adding 1 cup of sugar for every cup of juice. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil. Boil until jellying point has been reached, then test a couple of drops on a cold saucer. If surface wrinkles when pushed from side then jelly point has been reached. Add Lavender leaves. Pour into sterilised jars and seal.
Lavender Scones
3 1/2 cups self-raising flour
300 mls cream
200 mls lemonade
2 tps 'Bridestowe Culinary Lavender'
Sift flour, add culinary lavender and stir. Combine lemonade and cream. Create a well in the flour mix and pour wet ingredients into it. Mix and knead well together. Roll out on floured board. Cut into rounds and place on a tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 20 minutes at 200degrees C.
Roast Turkey with Tasmanian Lavender Rub
Weight of turkey: 15.68 pound ~ Average cooking time: 4 hours ~ Serves 10
Lavender Salt Wet Rub
Makes about 1 cup (recipe can be half for whole chicken, pork loin or chicken breast meat)
- store any leftover rub in a sealed container in the refrigerator where it will keep for 5 days.
- The longer you leave the wet rub on the meat, the more flavor will be infused into the meat.
4 tsp dried culinary "Tasmanian" lavender buds
4 tbsp coarse sea or kosher salt
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
10 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
2 tbsp freshly ground lemon pepper (or black pepper)
In a spice grinder, pulse the lavender with coarse salt until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the oil, garlic, rosemary and pepper.
Roast Turkey
Preheat an over to 500 F.
1. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a large roasting pan.
2. Gently slide your fingers under the breast to loosen the skin.
3. Spread half cup of Lavender Salt Wet rub between the skin and breast meat. This helps to seal in the flavor of the rub and maintain the moisture of the meat during cooking time.
4. Use the remaining salt rub and coat the rest of the turkey. Making sure a generously portion is covering the breast meat.
5. Stuff the turkey with homemade stuffing. "Seal" the cavity with half apple.
6. Truss the turkey if desired.
7. Roast the turkey at 500 F for 30 minutes.
8. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and cover the turkey with foil.
9. Continue roasting until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone, registers 165F and the thigh registers 175F.
10. Transfer the turkey to a carving board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.