Recipes

Lavender-Lemon Shortbread
Makes 12 shortbread cookies

Shortbread came originally from the British Isles, and cooks in England, Scotland, and Ireland all passed down family recipes through the generations. Combining the simple flavors of butter, sugar, and flour, the cookies are just barely sweet, but quite addictive. This shortbread pairs the classic flavors of lemon, lavender, and butter to make a fancy cookie that will class up a simple dessert of fruit.

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons lavender calyxes, dried and removed from the stems (culinary lavender)

Preheat oven to 325° F. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest with an electric mixer or by hand until just blended; do not over-beat. Sift the flour and lavender calyxes into a bowl, rubbing the buds through the sieve with your hand. Slowly add the lavender flour and salt to the butter and sugar, mixing until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary in order to blend all of the ingredients, being careful not to over beat. Press the resulting dough firmly into a 10-inch spring-form pan or pie tin. Pierce the dough in a few places with a fork to prevent it from bubbling and to allow excess steam to be released. Score or perforate the dough to make cutting the wedges easier after baking. Bake until golden brown around the edges, 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 2 minutes. With a knife, cut the shortbread round into 12 wedges. When the pieces are completely cool, carefully remove from the pan. Store in an airtight container. Jeff Dawson, a gardener and writer from Sebastopol, California, passed on this recipe from chef Tess McDonough of Kendall Jackson Winery.

Marinade for meats & fish

½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Juice of One Lemon
1 Garlic Clove Crushed & Minced
1 tsp. Lavender Celtic Sea Salt Blend

OPTIONAL: Chopped Fresh Herbs
Rosemary, Dill, Parsley, or Cilantro

Combine Ingredients. Marinate Beef, Pork, Lamb or Fish for One Hour. Great when grilled. 
 
Lavender Vinaigrette

½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp. Lavender Celtic Sea Salt Blend

Combine Ingredients in small bowl. Wisk until salt dissolves.

OPTIONAL: Add 1 Tbls. Dijon Mustard to Olive Oil. Wisk until blended. Wisk in salt and vinegar.

Lavender & Olive Oil Dip

½ Cup Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Coarse Sea Salt
1 tsp. Culinary Lavender

Combine in a small bowl. Dip with your favorite bread. Enjoy!