Lavender Lemonade

Last month, I went to the Lavender Festival at Highland Springs Resort in Cherry Valley, CA. Highland Springs is the largest producer of organic lavender in Southern California. They also have an excellent steakhouse onsite.

After gorging myself on lamb kebabs, roasted corn, and lavender cheesecake, I hit the lavender booth and bought lavender EVERYTHING: a cookbook, sugar, hand sanitizer, lotion, etc. I really need better supervision at these things.

Paging through the cookbook, I found a recipe for ginger-lavender lemonade, which sounded delicious, especially as the temps here have been flirting with the triple digits.

We have our own organic lavender plant, and a lemon tree that has produced some spectacularly ugly lemons that are nonetheless saturated with essential oil and produce a lot of juice. So, I tried making an adapted version of the recipe from the cookbook and it was delicious! There is something about the ability to feed (or in this case, make a tasty beverage for) oneself with products that came from your own yard that is immensely satisfying.

Lavender-Lemonade

1 recipe Lavender-Lemon Syrup
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
4 cups water (I used spring water)

Mix ingredients together in a pitcher; serve over ice.

Lavender-Lemon Syrup

3/4 cup organic sugar (1 cup if lavender sugar is unavailable)

1/4 cup organic lavender sugar (make your own, or whole foods may have it)

zest of 2 lemons

2 T culinary-grade lavender buds

2 cups water

Add all ingredients to a small saucepan and stir to combine. Heat over medium-high to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil one minute, then remove from heat. Strain out solids and allow to cool to room temperature.

Rosemary's Baby

I came up with this cocktail over the weekend when I decided to experiment with the bourbon.
A custom cream reduction tames the big kick.
(Thanks to JR for coming up with the name. All I had was "off-the-hook bourbon cocktail.")

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz. bourbon
4 oz. OJ
1 Tbs Rosemary, vanilla, & black pepper-infused cream
fresh rosemary, rinsed & patted dry

Fill cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add OJ and cream and shake to blend.
Add bourbon and swirl or stir to mix in.
Pour into old-fashioned with light ice.
Garnish with rosemary.
Be prepared to repeat this cycle several times if you share this with others. Be prepared to do it at least once more if you're drinkin' solo (ya boozer).

If you're less lazy than me, a bit of orange peel would be a nice addition to the garnish.

Rosemary, Vanilla & Black Pepper-Infused Cream

I came up with this reduction the other day while experimenting with bourbon-based cocktails. I made a few adjustments and came up with this improved version that I'll be using today in my Rosemary's Baby cocktail, but I also think it will be delicious on the Boysenberry-Strawberry Pie we're having for dessert tonight...

Ingredients:

1 cup (8 oz) heavy cream
1 vanilla bean
3 small sprigs fresh rosemary (approx 1/2 - 3/4 tsp)
3/4 tsp whole black peppercorns, divided
2 Tbl orange blossom honey

I use local &/or organic products whenever possible. When I travel, I always pick up some local products and specialties. They are usually inexpensive and also make great souvenirs. I bought these vanilla beans from La Maison du Cacao in Guadeloupe earlier this year.

Cocoa tree & pod

Split the bean down the middle, taking care not to cut it completely in half:

Add cream, bean, 1/2 tsp black peppercorns, and rosemary to a small saucepan:

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides (to prevent scalding) until reduced by half, about 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the vanilla bean. Stir in the honey until completely incorporated.

Let cool 5-10 minutes then push through a fine mesh strainer into a glass or plastic container. Stir in remaining 1/4 tsp peppercorns and refrigerate at least one hour before using.