Lavender Week with the Novel Bakers!

Welcome to Lavender Week with the Novel Bakers. This week we have a special guest joining us:
Pam from Sidewalk Shoes!

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We'll be posting about Lavender on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of this week, I hope you'll enjoy what we have to share.

Here is one of the books that inspired us:

(click the image to learn more)

The first recipe I made was from the book~

"Grilled Lavender Honey Breast of Chicken"

Of course, as is my way, I had to tweak it a bit.

I didn't have boneless chicken breast halves with skin,

so I cubed the boneless chicken and marinated in the delicious citrus

and lavender honey glaze, 

then skewered the chicken chunks, ribbon-candy style with

prosciutto, and grilled the skewers. 

If you don't care for the look of charred skewers, of course you'll
plan ahead and soak them in water before loading the ingredients.  :)

We really enjoyed the flavor the marinade added;

 made with vinegar, lavender honey, fresh lemon zest and juice

along with fresh lime juice and finely ground culinary Provence

lavender buds, a little olive oil and salt and pepper.

I served it as an appetizer course and it quickly disappeared.

I would definitely make this one again, either this way or

as the original recipe suggests~ boneless chicken breasts

with skin-on as a main course.

It was declared a winner.
Thumbs up!

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We're still harvesting our blueberries, so

in keeping with the Lavender theme, I served

the skewers with Blueberry-Lavender Spritzers ~

you can serve them as the recipe suggests spiked with vodka,

but I found they were equally delicious sans the vodka. The

choice is yours.

I think the combination of blueberries and lavender is absolutely

heavenly ~ whether in this luscious Lavender-Blueberry Ice Cream,
(from many, many posts ago), or in this delightful liquid concoction.

It is an easy one to make ahead. First you make the blueberry-lavender

simple syrup (can make it up to a week ahead and keep it in

the refrigerator.)

When you're ready to make the drinks, just put ice cubes in the glasses,

add some of the blueberry-lavender simple syrup, then 

pour the remaining ingredients over.

Garnish with a stem of lavender, a sprig of lemon verbena (or lemon balm)

and a slice of lime.

For an added treat, freeze some blueberries and float them in

the drinks.

Such a refreshing beverage on a hot day!

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Not feeling in the blueberry mood? 

Then you might want to try this recipe from Elise

@ Simply Recipes (I love her blog!)

Lavender Lemonade

I first tasted this at a local restaurant about 10 years ago. It's been a favorite ever since.






Note:
I'll have all of the recipes I share during Lavender Week posted on my recipe blog on Friday. (I'll share the links on Friday.)
A few tips about lavender~ 
Thought to have first been cultivated in the Mediterranean regions, lavender is easy to grow, and grows in poor soil where other plants may fail.
Lavender's uses include: 
Landscaping, crafts, floral decor, culinary, personal care, including therapeutic applications.
Both the flowers and the foliage of lavender are intensely aromatic and the flowers range in color from blue, very dark purple, pink, white and yellow depending upon the variety.
English lavender and Provence lavender are the two types most usually used in cooking.
A little lavender goes a long way in recipes, so it's best to start with a light touch, adding more if you like a more pronounced flavor and aroma.

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Please come along and see the treats the Novel Bakers have in store for you during Lavender Week!
Click on the links below:
Home is Where The Boat Is
Rattlebridge Farm
A Quiet Life
Sidewalk Shoes


Thank you for stopping by today, friends.
Please come back on Wednesday, we have lots more to share!