Lavender Week with the Novel Bakers

There are hundreds of delicious, savory recipes using culinary  lavender which tempted me this week ~
But because they are at their peak now I gravitated towards recipes using berries . . .
such as this one, which I slightly adapted from one of the Trader Joe's cookbooks.





These are very easy to make; the method is to roll puff pastry  out with a rolling pin (the work surface and the top of the raw pastry is  sprinkled generously with Turbinado sugar prior to rolling.)





The pastry is cut into squares, (or whatever shape you like) and baked off in a hot oven.   After cooling on a rack the squares are  sliced in half horizontally. 
You can use a variety of fillings ~ pudding, whipped cream, lemon curd, mascarpone, etc.  I used a creamy plain yogurt, blended  with a little raspberry jam and lavender honey to sweeten the mix.


Arrange berries, or any fruit that you like on the  filling, then top with the remaining puff pastry half and enjoy!
So good!

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And, as I mentioned, MORE berries . . .

This recipe is inspired from one I found on the internet and served at a lavender farm in the UK.
It is called a fruit cup but I think we, on this side of the pond, would consider it a really refreshing drink with a lot of fruit in it. :)




No matter the name it is really delicious, not too sweet and doesn't contain much of  an alcohol kick. The strawberries from the garden are slowing in production now, but I found just enough to make the recipe. 
I believe other fruit would work equally well (I'm thinking another kind of berry, sliced peaches, nectarines, plums, or pitted cherries.)




I would describe it as a twist on Sangria ~ delightful! I serve it with a spoon to get every piece of fruit ~ a straw would make it easier to sip the liquid, too.


  (Please note: I'm not endorsing any particular brand of ginger ale --  I attempted to block the logo, but it looked like a train wreck. And I love my good neighbors to the north in Canada!)

These are the ingredients: 
Fresh orange juice, lemon juice, ginger ale and a splash of dry vermouth. Lots of sliced strawberries. Muddled lavender. For garnish: lemon balm (or lemon verbena) and a stem or two of  lavender. Serve well chilled!




I'll have the recipes and links to them up on Friday.



Thank you for coming by for a visit ~ I appreciate your comments if you care to leave one!






I know you'll enjoy stopping by each of the Novel Bakers blogs to see their magical creations today ~
(To visit click on the links below.)

Home is Where the Boat Is 

Rattlebridge Farm

Sidewalk Shoes

a quiet life blog

Lavender Week with the Novel Bakers ~ A Bonus Post . . .

Since we at the Novel Bakers are posting about Lavender this week, I thought I would share two older posts that I did some time ago using lavender.


The first is the Lavender Blossom Martini you can find the original post HERE.




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And then one of my ALL-TIME favorite recipes  for homemade ice cream ~ Lavender-Blueberry, which the Novel Baker organizer ~ Jain @ a quiet life blog introduced us to a few years ago. 
Oh my, it's a fabulous recipe and I'm quite sure you'll love it too.
You can add less lavender if you're not sure you'll like it, or add more if you know you love it!  
Lavender-Blueberry Ice Cream





See you back here Wednesday with some all new (for me) Lavender Recipes with the Novel Bakers.



Happy Tuesday, friends!
xo~mari

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!

Caramelized Onion and Jarlsberg Cheese Puff Pastry Squares

Well, it is not a Pissaladière, not exactly a Quiche, I would say it's more of a savory tart.
And very good for a lighter meal (not lighter in calories though!)  It's one of those dishes you can make when the cupboards are practically bare.
If you make it, please note that your proportions of ingredients  will vary, depending upon the dimensions of your pan.  I was going for a rather thin layer of filling, so I chose the shallow tart pan. Here's a brief description of how I put it together:
I placed a sheet of puff pastry in the square tart pan, docked it on the bottom only, and baked blind, until a little over half way done. Then I removed it from the oven and allowed it to cool slightly on a cooling rack.
Meanwhile, I sliced an onion thinly, and caramelized them in a skillet in a little butter and olive oil, cooking slowly so the sugars in the onions turned a beautiful golden brown and the onions were very tender.
Next I "painted" the partially baked crust with a thin layer of Dijon mustard and distributed the onions evenly over the  mustard coated crust, then sprinkled a few fresh thyme leaves,  and a couple of grinds of freshly ground black pepper over.   I added a generous amount of grated Jarlsberg cheese (from Norway), or a Swiss-type cheese over the onions and thyme.
To make the custard, I whisked a couple of eggs with a little half & half  (you can use cream or whole milk)  and carefully poured it over the cheese until it almost reached the top edge of the partially baked pastry crust. The filling will puff up while it bakes, so it's better to  under-fill than over-fill.


I baked it off in a 350ºF preheated oven (center rack) until the cheese was melted and beginning to brown, and the custard filling was just set.
Allow to cool slightly, then cut with a sharp knife, serve up and enjoy while still warm.


Served with a salad of greens and a good vinaigrette, it makes a fine, simple little meal and is budget friendly, too. You can also cut into smaller portions to serve as appetizers.

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Thanks for coming by today friends, please leave me a comment if you have a mind to ~ I really enjoy reading what you have to share.



I'm linking to Foodie Friday. (click)
Happy Thursday, everybody! 
xo~mari

Brazilian-Style Collard Greens

Perhaps you've eaten Collard Greens all your life?
Or maybe, like me, you can count the number of times - that you've eaten them on one hand.
In my family we always had Swiss Chard, because my grandfather and my father grew it in their vegetable gardens ~ other times my mother would  prepare spinach for us, but not collard greens.



Prior to finding this recipe, the only way I had seen collards prepared they were way overcooked, a washed-out gray-green, limp mass. And not the most healthy. So I was really pleased to have found this recipe which retains more of the vitamins, and it is lower in fat.
Because the leaves are sliced into thin strips, then are sauteed with lots of garlic in olive oil,  a little butter and salt for just a couple of minutes, they retain their deep green color and cooked quickly,  there is a pleasant 'chew' to the texture.
You can also add bacon if you like ~ I cook the bacon separately and offer it on the side, along with a little rice vinegar if anyone wants to add some. Balsamic, Red Wine vinegar or a squeeze of lemon would also be good. I offer a small shaker of red pepper flakes for those who like to add a little spicy kick.



In Brazil collard greens prepared this way (probably minus the vinegar) are traditionally served with Brazil's national dish Feijoada, but they go well with almost any meal.
If you would like a printable copy of this recipe, please hop on over to my recipe blog!

I love to read your comments, so thank you for taking the time!
Have a wonderful weekend, friends.

Cucumber Shooters

You know that saying ~  "Cool as a cucumber" ?
Well, it's been so blasted HOT here for the past couple of days, these are about all I felt like eating for dinner.


I'm sure you can see how easy they are to make ~
Peel (if desired) an English/Hot house cucumber; try to select a straight one, and one that is of even circumference if possible. Cut cross-way into 1-1/2 to 2-inch sections. Use a melon ball tool to scoop out a cavity, creating a cup to hold the filling.


You can fill them with anything you like: 
Pico de Gallo ~ Salsa Cruda Gazpacho (spiked, or not) Chicken, Shrimp or Tuna Salad Your favorite dip, or spread, etc.

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Happy Independence Day to all who celebrate!

Caponata

Caponata is an Italian dish, quite similar to French Ratatouille; cubed or diced eggplant, onion, celery, garlic, bell pepper, tomatoes, etc. Caponata usually contains green olives, and since I like capers I add some, plus some toasted pine nuts, and if I have zucchini on hand, I dice it and add it as well.


The ingredients, except the olives, capers and pine nuts can be sauteed in olive oil until tender, or do as I do and place the ingredients in a shallow baking pan, toss with a little olive oil and roast in a 375º to 400º  preheated oven, stirring occasionally. I usually don't add the tomatoes until the other veggies are almost tender, then continue roasting until the ingredients are very tender and nearly all the liquid has evaporated. Cool and serve at room temperature.  (May be covered and refrigerated to serve later.)  It will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.


It's very good served as a topping on bruschetta, crackers, tucked into an omelet, as a spread added to a grilled cheese or other favorite sandwich. It's also good as a topping on cheese pizza, either before the pizza goes into the oven or after, as well as a condiment to serve along with simply prepared chicken or fish.


If you've never made this, once you do, I'm sure you'll see how easy it is. And you can adjust the ingredients to suit your own taste. Occasionally I'll add tiny, quartered artichoke hearts, black olives instead of green, whatever sounds good will usually work.
I loosely follow this recipe, if there is a vegetable listed that you don't care for (or don't have on hand),  feel free to omit it.


 I don't like quite as much sugar in mine so I reduce it by at least half. I suggest starting with a smaller amount, then add more if you like it sweeter. 
If you make this version I hope you enjoy!
xo ~m.
Note:  The recipe for Amaretti Cookies is now up over on my recipe blog. Click here.
Linking to Foodie Friday @ Rattlebridge Farm. Please come see the lovely things that are going on there!