Lavender Loves Wine Country

Love this New York Times' piece, "Not Just the Wine Is Purple: Lavender Wafts Across Sonoma". I have read many accounts describing visits to lavender fields, this is the first time I have heard that humming buzz was the main attraction.

Last summer, I also had the opportunity to visit Matanzas Creek Winery in Santa Rosa. My husband and I walked through the gardens, tasted wine and enjoyed the warmth of the California sun. If you enjoy fine wine, beautiful gardens and great food, give yourself a treat and visit Sonoma, Santa Rosa and Nappa Valley.

Magic Lavender Wands

Lovely lavender stars in this weekends harvest celebration. Sunny, hot weather made everything sparkle and shine. I visited Crescent Falls Organic Farm, the venue for the Lavender Sisters celebration. What a treat!

This young lovely woman is showing us how to create a lavender wand. Weaving ribbons around lavender stems results in a regal wand that offers the fragrance of lavender to be enjoyed throughout the year.

Making a Lavender Wand

Lavender celebrations will attract hundreds of people to Vashon Island (just minutes from Seattle by ferry) this weekend. Officially known as the Vashon Lavender Farm Tour, this event is a "must" for people who enjoy natural beauty.

The fields full of purple flowers dancing in the breeze will delight you. The music, food and fun brings us together to admire nature's abundance.

"Lavender: Making it Last" is the topic I will be speaking on Saturday, July 11th, at Crescent Falls Organic Farm. This is the venue for the Lavender Sisters' celebration. The farm sits high on a bluff overlooking Calavos Straits, in the distance Mount Rainier glistens against the blue sky.

If you want to discover how to make a lavender wand, this is your opportunity. Interested in learning how to cook with lavender? Don't miss Denise Kitchel's cooking (and tasting) demonstrations. Maybe you are fascinated by honey bees, then you will love hearing Lois Franz talk about her hives.

Hope to see you on Saturday, July 11th at 11:30 a.m. down near the stone garden at Crescent Falls Organic Farm.

Charming Cherries

Sweet, pitted, caramelized cherries make a fantastic dessert. Whether you spoon over angel food cake, drizzle over vanilla ice cream or use as topping on a fudgy brownie, these cherries are a hit.

The recipe, published in the June 2009 issue of Sunset magazine, is quick and easy. Pitting the cherries takes a little time, however I used a new tool, a cherry/olive pitter. This tool made it easy.

Lavender, a member of the mint family, calls out the fruity flavor of the cherries. I served this at a family picnic. My seven-year-old grandson tasted the dessert and said, "Wait, there's lavender in this dessert and it is yummy." Sam's foodie instincts are beginning to emerge.

Try this recipe now while cherries are in abundance at farmer's markets and grocery stores! Please let me know how you liked it.

Discover Lavender

Two Tall Cool Ones: Summer Refreshment

Looking for a quick and refreshing summer drink? Try this combination of Pinot Grigio with raspberries, orange juice and lavender syrup.

Bright and fresh, this raspberry lavender cooler is sure to delight you and your guests.

Raspberry Lavender Cooler

1 (10 ounce) bag for frozen raspberries, thawed
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup lavender syrup
1 bottle Pinot Grigio wine, chilled
4 lavender sprigs, for garnish

Combine thawed raspberries, orange juice, lavender syrup and wine in a blender. Blend until mixed, about 30 seconds.

Pour into glasses and garnish with lavender sprigs.

Enjoy!

Three Easy Ways to Infuse Everyday Food with Lavender

The scent of lavender is pungent with an earthy, pine-like fragrance. Long used in soap and body lotions, this herb is now an essential in the kitchen.

1. Harvesting lavender is easy. When the blooms are almost fully open, simply cut a spike of organic lavender around midday when the blossoms are dry. With your thumb and index finger, rub buds off into a bowl. Store buds in a pantry away from the light.

2. Making Lavender Sugar is as easy as making up a jar of cinnamon sugar. Take 1 tablespoon lavender buds along with ¼ cup of granulated sugar. Food process for 1 minute converting buds into a soft powder. Mix in another 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar. Store in an airtight container. Wait three days before using so the sugar is infused with flavor.

3. For a taste of Provence, next time you are mixing up blueberry muffins, substitute lavender sugar for plain sugar.

You don't need to wait for summer to enjoy lavender. Dried culinary lavender buds are available from PCC Natural Markets, Whole Foods, Market Spices and Local Harvest. Buy some now and have fun bringing the taste of summer into the spring bounty of halibut, strawberries, Copper River salmon and rhubarb. Celebrate nature's abundance!

Picture This: Lavender Oil Used To Create World's First Photograph

Lavender, the Swiss army knife of herbs, seems to be capable of anything and everything. Rubbed on burns, added to soap and lotions, infused in sugar and planted in our gardens, lavender continues to surprise me. Would you believe me if I told you lavender played a pivotal role in the world’s first photograph?

In the summer of 1826, a gentleman named Joseph Niepce created a photograph at his country estate in Eastern France. Ten years earlier, he began experimenting with photography in. Saint-Loup-de-Varennes. Niepce had been fascinated with lithography. He placed engraved images on stone and he had been successful making copies of images using a light sensitive varnish.

When he combined this lithographic technique with the camera obscura, Niepce was successful in creating a photographic image of the scene from an upstairs window in his country home. The image captures rooftops, trees and outbuildings.

Niepce set a camera obscura in the upstairs bedroom window. He used a pewter plate coated with bitumen and exposed it to light for eight hours. The bitumen exposed to the sunlight became hardened. A mixture of lavender oil and white petroleum was used to wash the pewter plate, dissolving the bitumen that was not exposed to light. The result was a positive negative image of the view from that upstairs bedroom. Niepce, recognizing the role of the sun, called this a heliograph.

Lavender, also dependent on the sun for its existence, continues to amaze me. For its versatility and simplicity, this all purpose herb is hard to beat.

The Myth, Magic and Majesty of Lavender: Ten Reasons to Love this Herb

1.The colorful flowers attract my attention first. The lavender plants in my garden tease me with their showy purple spikes that bloom in early summer. We mostly visualize the colors of blue and purple when we think of lavender, although some varieties do have white flowers and other are pink.

2.While lavender’s appearance is a visual treat, its rich history intrigues my intellect. Cleopatra, anointing her body with lavender oil, seduced Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony. In the very early literature on herbal healing, lavender shows up as a sedative, a treatment for migraines and as an antiseptic for cleaning wounds. Lavender appears in monastery gardens, in the castles of queens and kings and in sick rooms during the bubonic plague.

3.The fragrance of lavender is seductive. Described as clean, fresh and pine-like, the scent is penetrating, long-lasting and unforgettable. After working in my garden, I like to crush lavender leaves in my hands and revel in the flowery perfume.

4. I love the shape of these evergreen plants. The symmetry pleases my eye’s desire for order. In the summer, the flower spikes reach up and out as if they were trying to touch the sky. In a summer breeze, the flowers gracefully sway back and forth like a child’s swing.

5. True lavender honey tastes sweet and slightly floral. Bees dance around my lavender plants, attracted like magnets to its sweet nectar. I love sweetening fresh berries with a tiny amount of lavender honey for an extraordinary treat.

6. Never needy, lavender only asks for two things: warm sunshine and dry, well-drained soil.

7. Lavender reminds me that our universe is abundant. It thrives in many places around our planet such as in Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State and on the island of Hokkaido in the Japanese Alps. Maui’s Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm, with buds in bloom throughout the year, tops my list as the most beautiful place in the world for enjoying fields of lavender.

8. A good partner, lavender enhances chocolate, citrus fruits and berries: Dark chocolate infused with lavender offers an exotic, slightly mysterious tone; a pink grapefruit sprinkled with lavender sugar makes the grapefruit taste tropical; blueberries topped with lavender-infused cream tantalize my taste buds.

9. The fanciful names given to lavender farms amuse and entertain me. Crowsfeet Lavender Farm, Frog Rock Lavender Farm, Rusty Acres, and Sawmill Ballroom Lavender Farm are a few of my favorites. I must also mention Shooting Star Lavender Farm located in Oregon, named for the shooting stars often seen in the northern sky.

10. Popular, attractive and pleasing, lavender is the homecoming queen of herbs. Lavender celebrations begin in May in Texas and continue through June in California and July in Oregon and Washington. In December, New Zealand and Australia host tourists at lavender farms such as The Lavender Patch and Bridestow Lavender Farm. Lavender even has its very own fairy: Cicely Mary Barker created the Lavender Fairy in 1923, capturing the natural charm of this evocative herb.

Lavender Loves California and So Does This Pooch

Clairmont Farms, near the town of Los Olivos, was a horse ranch before becoming home to 12,000 lavender plants. Located in the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County, these lavender fields flow across five acres. A long, bumpy driveway is lined with gnarled olive trees. These trees were planted more than 175 years ago by Spanish missionaries.

The sun feels hot as we step out of our air conditioned rental car. A gentle breeze ripples across the lilac-colored field. The fragrant scent of lavender chases away the stress of traffic, cell phones and business meetings. The lavender, not quite in full bloom, waves to us. It seems to whisper, “Welcome to the land of golden sunshine.”

On the edge of the field, sturdy oak trees spread their branches. I look over the horizon and see the Santa Ynez mountains profiled against the blue sky. Having just arrived from Seattle, John and I bask in the sun and soak up the color.

Meryl Tanza bought this property in 1976, then part of a 30-acre parcel. Meryl grew up in South Africa and loved horses, so she planned to breed thoroughbreds here. To supplement her income, she turned to growing lavender. Several years ago, she planted thousands of Grosso Lavender plants, a hybrid known for its high oil content. “We purchased a small distillery and began to extract essential lavender oil from plant material,” Meryl explains.

Meryl and her husband, Glenn Thalheimer, spend long days tending the farm, extracting lavender oil and making scented candles, sachets and body lotion. The farm is open to visitors daily.

My husband and I stroll through the fragrant fields, browse in the boutique and capture this landscape with our camera. Lawn chairs line the field’s perimeter, offering places to sit, rest and take in the moment. The family dog, a short hair collie, hops into a chair and poses for a photo with a serene expression. I wonder whether it is the lavender that makes him so calm.

A steady stream of people come and go, buying lavender honey, dried bouquets or bubble bath. While John and I linger in the afternoon sun, a black stretch limousine rolls down the driveway toward the farm. A woman, looking stylish with three-inch heels and a large hat, emerges. “This is amazing. I am from Connecticut, vacationing in Santa Barbara, and I heard about this farm at my time-share.”

Another group consists of an extended family visiting the area to celebrate a college graduation. The proud mother says, “We’ve never seen a lavender farm and are amazed at the purple fields. This is just like a Monet painting come-to-life.”

Clairmont Farms also maintains an online retail store for people who can’t visit the farm in person. With Mother's day coming up in just a few weeks, you may want to consider a gift of Lavender Shampoo, Culinary Lavender Honey or Lavender Mist.

For Its Fizz and Flavor, Try DRY

Sick and tired of sticky sugary soda? Looking for a refreshing non-alcoholic drink to enjoy with lunch or dinner? You may want to try DRY soda.

Available in six flavors, this soda is simple and elegant. The soda contains only natural ingredients – sugar, water and flavored with fruit, flower or herb extracts. DRY soda comes in sleek bottles with an award-winning design.

Flavors include Lavender, Lemongrass, Rhubarb, Kumquat, Vanilla Bean and Juniper Berry. As you could guess, Lavender is my favorite. Fizzy and soothing, the drink sparkles with a hint of the flavor and aroma of lavender. I love the lightness of this drink. Minimal sugar equates to fewer calories. Seventy calories in each 12 ounce bottle compares to double that for 12 ounces of Coca Cola.

A Seattle-based company, DRY soda offers a tasting room in Pioneer Square where you can sample their soda. The soda is served in champagne glasses. In fact, many fine restaurants offer DRY soda as an alternative to ice tea, cola or wine. Dahlia Lounge, 35th Street Bistro and Purple Café and Wine Bar are three of the more than 50 restaurants where DRY soda is available in Washington. For those of us who are looking for a non-alcoholic drink or who enjoy fresh flavor, DRY soda has come along at the right time.

Other adult soda products on the shelf include Jones Soda (also a northwest company), Izze and GuS (Grown Up Soda). Lots of flavors, but, alas only DRY creates Lavender Soda.

At the end of a long day, I treat myself to DRY Lavender soda on the rocks with a small square of dark chocolate. The combination is divine.

Where in the world will lavender turn up next?

The Queen of Herbs: Lavender Rules In The Garden, Spa, Kitchen and Everywhere

Nature’s beauty challenges our ability to describe in mere words or even in photographs. Ellen Spector Platt’s new edition of Lavender – How To Grow And Use The Fragrant Herb (Stackpole Books 2009) meets this challenge and then some.

The book, 145 pages, contains photographs of lavender fields, garden paths, wreaths and more. The beauty of lavender dazzles us; however this book invites us to discover more about this plant. Platt’s book describes its history from ancient times when Roman soldiers used the herb to perfume their bath water to now when lavender is celebrated in festivals around the world.

Platt provides useful advice about growing lavender. Full sun is a must for this plant. Good drainage and alkaline soil are also preferred. For harvesting , Platt offers tips for cutting, drying and using lavender making it easy to enjoy its beauty even after summer is over.

Farms and festivals offer visitors opportunities to “observe essential oil being distilled from the harvest; hear the banjo picker, the country trio, the six-string electric violin, or the Celtic fiddle.” Once again Platt speaks to all our senses and invites us to appreciate lavender for its beauty, fragrance, usefulness and its taste. She provides a list of festivals so you can discover and experience lavender yourself.

Cooing with lavender, my favorite part, is now coming into its own in America. In France, lavender has been a favorite in the kitchen for a long time. Platt shares recipes for Poached Apples, Aromatic Chicken and instructions for serving Edible Flowers. I am pleased to have contributed one of my special recipes – Roasted Halibut a la Provence - to this outstanding book.

If you are intrigued with Lavender, this book will help you discover its array of attributes. If you are looking for an unforgettable Mother’s Day gift, look no longer. Pick up a copy of Lavender – How To Grow and Use The Fragrant Herb and why not splurge and add a lavender plant!

Sold Out?

Stopped at Whole Foods around noon today, hoping to buy organic culinary lavender buds. Over the long dark, not to mention, cold winter, I've used up my stash. Although in each dish, only a tiny amount of lavender buds are required, I have enjoyed flavoring sugar, vinegar, cookies, cakes and salad dressing and more with the fresh taste of lavender. I made a bee line for the bulk herb section of the market. The jar was empty! With the luxury of time, I would have tracked down a clerk to ask about the situation. Out of time and down-hearted, I gave up for the moment.

PCC Natural Market sells organic lavender buds in their bulk section. I wondered if they are out, too.

Home now and sitting in front of my computer, I will order my lavender buds on the internet. Google returns 11,500 page on my search terms - culinary lavender buds.

Local Harvest offers Royal Velvet Culinary Lavender buds. Royal Velvet, a cultivar of English Lavender, tastes sweet and the fresh flowers are a deep blue.

Many lavender growers also have culinary buds for sale. Olympic Lavender Farm, Hood River Lavender Farm and Central Coast Lavender have just what I am looking for.

Another option are spice shops such as My Spice Sage, Penzeys Spices or World Spice Merchants.

With my supply of lavender buds replenished, I am dreaming of blueberries with lavender infused whipped cream.

Apple Jelly Flavored with Lavender


Jelly, jelly, jelly - don't you love this word! A week or so ago, my apples were getting a bit long in the tooth. What to do? Jelly, jelly, jelly...

I decided to try my hand at making apple jelly. Flavored with lavender and a tiny amount of cassis, this jelly was amazing.

As a child, I enjoyed jams and jellies made by my dear mother. As an adult, I have forsaken jams and jellies. After tasting home-made products, I can not imagine eating something mass-produced with who-knows-what additives and preservatives. So I have been jelly-deprived for many years.

Sugar, aging apples, lavender and cassis come together in this tasty and beautiful jar of jelly!

Spread on my morning toast, my apple jelly sent me back to my childhood and the simple pleasure of jelly!

Sugar for All Seasons

Sugar - seasoned with herbs, spice, flowers or citrus - combines sweetness with pungent exotic flavor. Most of us remember cinnamon sugar sprinkled on buttered toast. When my mother made pie, she always set aside pastry scraps for what she called “sample”. After rolling the odds and ends of these scraps, she placed them on a cookie sheet, dabbed butter on top of the pastry and sprinkled each “sample” with cinnamon sugar. As they baked in the oven, the kitchen was infused with an unforgettable aroma.

1. Lavender sugar preserves summer’s bounty so it can be enjoyed all year. Sprinkled on a glistening red grapefruit and broiled until sugar melts, the fragrance seems to bring back sunny gardens. With a jar of lavender sugar in the pantry, you can tap into your creativity. Try substituting lavender sugar for the sugar in your blueberry muffin recipe.

2. Vanilla delivers a warm, mellow flavor. Add a vanilla bean to a jar of lavender sugar and enjoy the flavor contrast. This blend of flavors enhances the sweet taste of berries.

3. Mint sugar adds a cool fresh taste to fruit salads. Sprinkled over fresh pineapple, its bright green color contrasts beautifully with the golden hue of the fruit.

4. Citrus fruit flavored sugars bring a piquant taste to desserts and drinks. To make lemon sugar, combine 2 tablespoons of lemon zest with 1 cup of sugar. For orange, tangerine or lime flavored sugar, replace lemon zest with zest from an orange, tangerine or lime.

5. What could be more elegant than rose flavored sugar? Gather 1 cup of rose petals. Make sure your rose petals are clean and free of unwanted chemicals and sprays. Layer the petals evenly in 1 cups of sugar in a glass jar. Set aside in a dark place for two weeks allowing the fragrance of the rose petals to scent the sugar. This delicate flavored sugar can replace plain sugar in custard recipes. Berries taste sweet and delicious when topped with rose flavored whipped cream.

6. Ginger sugar combines the zing and zesty flavor of ginger with sweetness. Use this in drinks or in cookies for a fresh and exotic taste.

These all make unique and inexpensive gifts. Package sugar in a decorative glass jar, label and include a favorite recipe or serving suggestion. Your sweet gift will make you unforgettable.

Farmer's Market Vegetable Tray

Eating enough vegetables can be a challenge. Somehow it is easier to reach for a cracker or chips rather than take time to wash and peel a carrot or cut up a red pepper. The best thing about this recipe is the peeling, cutting and seasoning can be done ahead of time. The vegetables are in your refrigerator ready for that moment when you need a quick and satisfying snack.

By the way, the French call this technique Vegetables a la Grecque meaning vegetables prepared in the Greek style. Prepare a court bullion, a poaching broth and steam your favorite vet ables making sure they are not overcooked. The steaming helps the vegetables absorb flavor and brings out the vibrant colors while maintaining a crisp and crunchy texture. Select high quality organic vegetables for the best result. You can use carrots, celery, mushrooms, tiny onions, red or green peppers, cauliflower, string beans, asparagus and broccoli florets. Your eyes will feast on the splash of color, your body will love the nutritional content and you will relish the flavor.


Poaching Broth
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup red vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
2 tablespoons sugar

3 cups vegetables, cut in 1 inch pieces

1. Add the first eight ingredients into a medium saucepan. Simmer for five minutes.
2. Poach vegetables in the season broth for 2 minutes.
3. Remove vegetables with slotted spoon and place on tray to cool.

When vegetables are cool, place them into a jar or bowl. Pour the poaching broth over the vegetables and cover. Store in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Serve with gren or black olives on a decorative platter.

Roasted Romaine Salad


Roasting romaine sounded strange to me the first time someone suggested it. After all, the quality I like most about romaine is its crispy texture. I was not at all sure roasting romaine was a good idea. When I got around to trying it, I was sold.

Roasting brings out the natural sugar in romaine as well as the other vegetables in this salad. Also, the flavor become more concentrated and intense. The medley of onions, red peppers, portabello mushrooms and tomatoes mixed with romaine creates a satisfying salad.

Before serving this salad, drizzle the vinaigrette dressing over the top. I enjoy this salad for its taste, buy I love it for its color and texture. Most of all, I know this salad is good for me. That makes me happy!

Roasted Romaine with Garlic & Onion Lavender Dressing

A warm medley of chunky vegetables can be served as an entrée or a first course. The roasting process boosts the flavor.

1 head romaine lettuce, washed and dried, cut in half through the core
1 whole red bell pepper
2 portabello mushrooms
2 medium tomatoes cut in 1/2 inch chunks
1 whole sweet onion -- sliced into 1/2 inch rings

For the dressing, whisk together the following ingredients:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 tablespoon minced chives
1/2 teaspoon lavender buds, finely ground using a spice grinder
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Remove stems from mushrooms and brush them clean. Place onto hot grill or hot dry frying pan over high heat and roast for 3 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.
2. Place romaine lettuce, cut side down, on a hot grill or a hot dry frying pan. Roast for 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until lettuce has grill marks. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Grill bell peppers, turning every minute until grill marks appear on each side. Grill onions turning 30 seconds on each side. Set aside.
4. All vegetables should have grill marks on the outside, but remain slightly raw on the inside.
5. Combine olive oil, Tuscan Lavender Seasoning, and balsamic vinegar. Set aside.
6. Cut roasted vegetables into large chunks and place in a salad bowl. Add tomatoes and dressing, and toss lightly.

Makes 2 entrée servings

Grilled Pear Crostini

Appetizers have always held a special place in my food memory bank. Many years ago, before eating green was in vogue, my mother grew her own vegetables, made most everything from scratch, and fed her family fresh, healthy foods. When her children were too hungry to wait for dinner, my mother created a platter of carrots, celery, cucumber and radishes. Then I did not know that this was an appetizer. Now while I still enjoy appetizers and I continue to look for healthy options, I also seek more complex flavors. Combining pears, lavender and goat cheese results in a pleasing flavor fusion. Serve this with a cold white wine such as pinot grigio.

Grilled Pear Crostini

2 red pears

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon culinary lavender buds, ground into powder

1 baguette, cut into 12 slices, each 1/4 inch thick

1. Peel and core pears
2. Slice into 1/4 inch thick rings
3. Rub with olive oil and lavender
4. Grill apple rings over medium heat. Turn once after apple is softened and has grill marks, about 4 minutes. Remove from grill and cut each ring in half.
5. Grill baguette slices, turning once until slightly toasted, about 1 minute.
6. Spread bread with goat cheese and top with apple slices.
7. Place crostini on a platter and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon chopped lavender.

Makes 12 crostini

Roasted Leg of Lamb

Julia Child had most everything right. Her influence on American cuisine continues to lead us to enjoy good food. Her recipe for grilled leg of lamb is nearly perfect. I just had to tinker just a bit to incorporate lavender into this dish. Lamb, lavender, southern France belong together.

Don't wait for a special occasion to try this. The lamb's flavor is complemented by the mixture of soy sauce, lemon juice and lavender.

I would love to hear from you about how you season lamb!

Roasted Leg of Lamb

Easy, elegant and delicious, this dish is perfect for a dinner party or patio supper. The lamb soaks up the lavender-infused marinade. The result is a tender and palate-pleasing main course.

1 4-pound boneless, butterflied leg of lamb
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon lavender buds
2 cloves of garlic, pureed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and black pepper

1. Flatten the lamb by pressing on it and place in a large dish, boned side up.
2. To ensure even cooking, make 1 inch slashes in 2 or 3 places at thickest part of the meat.
3. Rub 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the unboned side of the lamb. This side faces down in the baking dish.
4. Rub remaining olive oil along with the soy sauce, lemon juice, lavender and garlic puree onto the top side.
5. Marinate lamb for one hour.
6. Place in oven pre-heated to 375°F. Roast for 20 minutes or until temperature reaches 120°F.
7. Brush with olive oil, place under broiler for 7 minutes until the lamb is browned. Let sit for 8 minutes. Then cut into diagonal slices.

Ginger Carrot Soup

Seattle is often gray and dark this time of year. Maybe that is the reason this soup appeals to me. Its bright color matches its bright flavor. The complex taste has many layers. I used herbes de provence to accent the sweetness of the carrots. Curry was added to give the soup a little kick.

Ginger Carrot Soup

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup minced onion

1/4 cup grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence

3 cups (or more) chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth

4 cups peeled and sliced carrots (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1/4 cup orange juice

1/8 teaspoon curry

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

chives

1. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, minced ginger and herbes de Provence. Sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add chicken stock and sliced carrots. Cover and simmer until carrots are tender, about 45 minutes.
3. Working in batches, puree mixture in blender or processor. Return soup to saucepan.
4. Stir in orange juice. Cook over low heat 5 minutes. Mix in curry, salt and pepper. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to simmer before continuing, thinning with more stock if desired.
5. Ladle into bowls, garnish with snipped chives and serve.

Mixed Berry Gratin

Blueberries and raspberries sit on top of an egg custard sweetened and flavored with lavender honey in this dessert. I sprinkled a bit of sugar over the fruit, and then set it under a hot broiler. The sugar caramelizes and gets a little crusty. This sweet gratin has it all: color, flavor and texture.