Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Blue Moon Lavender


Several years ago I purchased a lovely little cookbook called Cooking and Baking with Lavender by Magdalena Bassett. She owned and operated a small lavender farm in Sequim, Washington with her husband, DJ Bassett. Her cookbook, although small, was filled with creative lavender recipes that she developed. Unfortunately a visit to their farm reveals that it is closed and the property for sale. Still well cared for, the lavender beds are vibrant and alive. Shaped like the crescent moon, they beautifully shout "Blue Moon Lavender" loud and clear!

Here's Magdalena's recipe for Baked Beans with Raisins and Lavender:

One 15 ounce can of beans (such as Bush's Vegetarian Beans)
2 sour apples, peeled, cored and cut into small cubes
1/2 cup raisins
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 tsp. lavender
salt, pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients together well. Then transfer to a baking dish. Cover and bake for 1 hour. Serve as a side dish with entree, or with rice or tortillas as a main dish.

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:41 AM

    Hello! It has been so long since I've stopped by here or anywhere else for that matter. Shame on me for that too. You have left such nice comments to me in the past and I just wanted you to know how much I appreciated your kind words.
    You have a great day and I hope to hear from you soon. :)
    Salina

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  2. Tell me, does lavendar grow in my neck of the woods? I would sure like to get my hands on some. I've been intrigued by what you've been saying about all your lavendar experiences.

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  3. Thank you so much for your nice words! this is a lovely write-up. We are indeed selling the farm and the lavender business - it's what we set out to do from the beginning. I'm a designer and my husband a photographer, and we set up and sell businesses to maximize our retirement money. Now it's time to sell the farm and dive in earnest into publishing. I have three cookbooks to publish and to reprint the Cooking and Baking with Lavender cookbook. I wish I could be in 4 places at the same time.

    Here is the link to the farm listing: http://tours.tourfactory.com/tours/tour.asp?t=342671

    here is a link to our store:
    http://www.bluemoonlavender.com

    and here is an easy recipe for:

    Cream Puffs with Lavender Sugar
    4 ounces butter
    1 cup water
    1 cup flour
    4 large eggs
    1 cup powdered sugar
    1 teaspoon culinary lavender, finely chopped
    whipping cream

    Preheat the oven to 425°F. Butter and flour one cookie sheet. You will also need a pastry sleeve or a large sturdy Ziploc® bag with a corner cut off for squeezing out the dough shapes.

    Bring water and butter to boil in a medium saucepan. Add flour all at once stiring vigorously with a wooden spoon. When the ball of dough forms, remove from heat, stir for 30 seconds, add one egg at a time, stir well to combine. It will slip and slide, but finally, it will come together to form a very thick and sticky dough. Transfer to the pastry sleeve or plastic bag. Squeeze round nuggets of dough about the size of an apricot onto the cookie sheet 3 inches apart. They will double in size during baking. Bake 20 minutes, open the oven door to release the steam, lower the heat to 325°F, bake 20 minutes or longer, until golden. Cut across one puff and check the interior. It should have a soft, souffle-like inside, and a stiff golden crust. Fill each half with whipped cream, sprinkle the tops with powdered sugar mixed with finely chopped culinary lavender. Decorate the tops of cream puffs with whole culinary lavender buds.

    It is best to mix the sugar with lavender several days ahead to maximize the flavor. Keep it in a tightly sealed jar. If the sugar clumps, fluff it with a fork.

    With culinary greeting,
    Magdalena Bassett

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Thank you for commenting on my blog post. I am always happy to hear from blog readers. Your words encourage and inspire me. I am glad you stopped by to share conversation, recipes, ideas, and thoughts on creating a welcoming home.