Summer brings one of my favorite hobbies; growing vegetables and herbs. For the past 10 years my sister and I have planted a large vegetable garden on her property. It has consisted of the staples of Maritime living with such things as corn, green onions, beets, and so on.... I love going out into the garden in late summer and pulling carrots from the ground, wiping away the earth and eating them raw and fresh. There is nothing better then to feel the crunch of the green beans between your teeth and taste the sweetness, to dig potatoes and throw them on the BBQ. There is something so satisfying knowing that you are eating food you planted from seeds, saved from weeds and watered when the earth got dry. Experiencing the reward of growing your own food is quite simply beautiful. This year as I have little time to make it over to the garden as much as I'd like I have found a bit of earth here at my little cottage in the woods and have worked the soil enough where the sun gets in. I have planted strawberries, swiss char, red peppers, cucumbers and a very cool variety of gourds. I also have patio planted basil, chocolate mint, oregano, a few varieties of tomatoes, chives, rosemary and lavender (for brownies!) It has truly been delightful!
Growing basil has been my biggest challenge as it does not like to be to wet and the past weeks here by the coast has brought much rain. It does however live on and I am hoping to get enough for a nice batch of pesto midsummer.
Lavender is new to my gardening this year making me quite inquisitive about the culinary uses of this fragrant plant. Lavender has long since been associated with herbal remedies, cosmetic products and perfumes. Thought to be beneficial to the nervous system and an aid for headaches and relaxation. Lavender has been used for over 300 hundred years, its Latin name Lavare meaning to wash. Hence its essential oils being added to bath water to wash your stress away. I personally do not like the smell as it makes me feel queasy. This is why I was so surprised to recently taste a decadent white chocolate cheese cake at www.thewoodenmonkey.ca and some fantastic lavender brownies at www.brooklynwarehouse.ca. There 21 varieties of lavender, all are edible yet the best is said to be among the English lavenders which provide a sweeter taste, French lavenders yielding a much stronger flavor nuance.
Here is a wonderful lavender brownie recipe you can try out at home. So make sure you pick your lavender buds, you can also dry them for later on in the season when the plants are scarce.
Lavender Brownies
1 cup unsalted butter
½ cup unsweetened or Dark Chocolate
4 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp lavender buds
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup all purpose lour
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
2. Melt butter and chocolate on low heat, stirring constantly. Once it has melted set aside or in the refrigerator to cool.
3. Beat sugar and lavender buds in a food processor.
4. Beat eggs, sugar salt and lavender blend with a mixer until thickened. Add vanilla and mix, slowly sift in flour 1/3rd at a time into the mixture.
5. Pour into greased, floured pan. Bake for 22-28 minutes or until the center is set.
