Time To Plant Cool Season Starts

Posted on August 7, 2018 by Ann Lovejoy
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Summer Time, And The Daylight Is Fading…

Summer’s here and the harvest is coming thick and fast. In my tiny shared garden space, my Blue Jade dwarf corn is fattening up, one blue ear per stalk. The beans are busting the vines, and tomatoes are ripening daily. Yet even as the heat wave continues, the days are already shrinking. It’s dark before 9:00 pm and the mornings are closing in. As we pull spent lettuces and dig potatoes, we’re prepping for fall planting by mulching with aged compost watered with compost tea to refresh the soil.

We’re making room for winter greens, including rosy arugula, which offers pretty much continuous harvest through autumn into deep winter. If given a cloche or a hoop tunnel, you can pick arugula on into spring. Same for many lettuce types, notably bibbs and butterheads such as Victoria, and Optima Buttercrunch Bibb. Of course, the classic cool season lettuce is the French favorite, Merveille des Quatre Saisons, but I’ve also had great crops of Pomegranate Crunch, a mini red Romaine.

Continual Harvest Crops

Endive crops through autumn as well. Frizzy, green-to-ivory Benefine is famed for being slow to bolt in summer heat but it’s also a fine cool season grower, as is smaller-headed Rhodos. Mustard greens are both tasty and pretty enough for the ornamental border, especially Osaka Purple, with rounded, puckered burgundy leaves, and Miz America, a fluffy, deep red confection with mild, almost sweet leaves. If I didn’t love the flavors, I would grow Swiss chard just for the beauty of the stems, from the warm gold of El Dorado to shrimp-tinted Flamingo Pink, citrusy Orange Fantasia and sparkling Magenta Sunset. Can’t choose? Try the Aurora blend, which offers a little of everything!

Long considered peasant food, kale boasts dozens of beautiful, tasty forms that can be harvested pretty much year round. Over the past decade, kale won a place in the trendiest of kitchens, especially in gorgeous forms such as Beira, a Portugese Sea Kale with large, tender leaves of jade green ribbed in ivory. The thick ribs are as crisp as celery, while the leaves, sliced into chiffonade, are delicious in soups and stir fries. Brilliant grass green Prizm won awards when introduced in 2016 and no wonder; the almost stemless, super curly, cut-and-come-again leaves are excellent raw or cooked. I also love Oregon-bred Dazzling Blue, partly because I like the song (thanks, Paul Simon) but mostly because it’s amazing; blue-green foliage with bright pink ribs tastes as sweet as its lacinato parents.

From Beets To Broccoli

There are plenty of root crops to tuck in now, including Bull’s Blood beets, with ruddy leaves and fat round red globes. Purple-red MacGregor’s Favorite are almost carrot-shaped, while Touchstone Gold beets are orange skinned and yellow fleshed and gifted with abundant phytonutrients (a welcome new direction in plant breeding). Crisp, sweet-with-a-bite turnips do well as a fall crop, especially Japanese-bred Tokyo Cross and Hakurei, exceptional in raw salads and stir fries or quick-pickled with rings of red onion and a clove of garlic.

Broccoli has a zillion varieties, many of which will produce tender side shoots all winter after the main head is harvested. Arcadia is a dense, medium-headed form with purple-tinged beads and a delicious flavor. Bred for the Pacific Northwest, Green Gold produces firm, tender heads in about 100 days, while blue-green Marathon heads up even faster (68 days from transplanting) and kicks out succulent side shoots until spring. A star in summer, Summer Purple keeps on keepin’ on, producing bright purple broccolini-type heads all fall. Sturdy, deep green Umpqua is another productive variety that cranks out tender side shoots long after the main head is harvested.

From Brokali to Kalettes

Those little side shoots can be steamed, grilled, roasted or pan-sizzled with a little oil and garlic. A productive cross called brokali (broccoli x gailon, a tender-crisp crucifer sometimes called Chinese broccoli) produces slender broccolini-type stalks with plump, lacy heads. Harvest the dense, small head of Brokali Apollo and you’ll pick sprouts for months. Brokali Happy Rich is especially vigorous and its pretty shoots can be gathered well into winter. I eat cauliflower pretty much daily, raw in salads, grilled in “steaks’, or roasted with a little avocado oil. Big head cauliflower comes in such pretty colors now, especially Purple Cape, Purple of Sicily, and Graffiti, all good fall performers. Stick-type cauliflower such as Fioretto are a delightful addition, tasty raw with dip, lightly grilled or steamed and drizzled with fresh lime juice.

Brussels sprouts are a winter staple in my kitchen. Some are slivered into slaw and raw salads, but most get roasted with cubed sweet potatoes, a handful of raw cranberries tossed in for the last 10 minutes. Red sprouts such as Red Ball never seem to get bugged by aphids, while sturdy Jade Cross and Roodnerf are strong growers that shrug bugs aside. I’d grow Hestia sprouts just to honor the goddess of the hearth, but these plump, tight little sprouts taste sweet even without the usual nip of frost. Wrapped in ruffles and tinted with rosy pink and purple, Kalettes are the rock stars of the cool season garden. Crosses between kale and Brussels sprouts, kalettes offer both delicious foliage and gorgeous little frilly balls, like sprouts in evening gowns. Autumn Star crops first, followed by midwinter Mistletoe and late winter Snowdrop. Flower Sprouts Petite Posy is similar, with mild, flavorful little sprouts that taste even better after a light frost. Plus? They’re adorable!

 

 

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Homemade Ice Cream

Posted on July 30, 2018 by Ann Lovejoy
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Dairy Or Vegan, A Summery Favorite

Who doesn’t love ice cream? On a scorching hot day, not much beats the fun of mashing fresh fruit into local milk and cream (or milk alternative) and freezing it into deliciousness. My grandkids are happy to eat homemade ice cream as chilly slush they call ice cream soup. I like a denser texture, which requires putting the soft set stuff into the freezer for a while to firm up. There’s something so nostalgic and sweet and happy about making ice cream with kids. Years ago, I had a fabulous White Mountain hand crank ice cream maker that combined a wooden bucket with a steel canister and paddle. You pre-chilled the canister, filled it halfway with a cold ice cream mixture, stuck it in the barrel, packed the edges with ice and rock salt and cranked away. Any and all kids loved to help, so this rather messy and usually lengthy process took place on the porch, where splashes of salty and often creamy mess could be hosed off and did no harm.

Somehow, that wonderful old machine got left behind on the trail of life, but since then, many faster, less cumbersome ice cream makers have arrived on the scene. Though some are automatic and electrified, I still prefer the hand crank types, which now feature fatter metal canisters filled with gel that holds the cold long enough to get your ice cream well started on the path to perfection. The only issue for me is making room in my ever-crammed freezer for the tub, which has to be kept in the freezer overnight to do the job. These come in many sizes, from pint to quart to gallon, but the smaller sizes are the most efficient, making soft serve ice cream in about ten minutes. Again, for firmer ice cream, transfer it to a tightly sealed tub and freeze for at least an hour.

Do You Believe In Magic

With many traditional recipes, homemade ice cream of any flavor is best the first day, as it tends to get rock hard over time. That wasn’t a problem in the past, when refrigerators were really ice boxes and freezers were almost unknown. Ice cream was for eating fresh and leftovers simply didn’t happen. To solve the problem, contemporary recipes often include a magic ingredient to keep ice cream silky; usually some form of corn syrup, which I (of course) eschew. However, a little experimentation showed that brown rice syrup is an excellent substitute, resulting in ice cream that’s satisfyingly dense yet not too hard. It also makes for ice cream that’s more creamy and less tooth-achingly sweet, and makes fruit flavors more prominent.

My usual recipes involve lovely local organic cream and milk as well as luscious fresh fruit. However, since some of us need to avoid dairy and others are vegan, I’ve developed recipes that please everyone, no matter what their dietary restrictions may be. The following recipes have passed multiple taste tests, but as always, feel free to adjust them to suit your family’s preferences.

Pure And Simple

Originating in ancient Turkey, dairy-free sorbets were traditionally made from dried fruit and rose petals mixed with sugar. Today, sorbets are usually made with fruit juice and water, adding flavoring agents and sweeteners to taste (or not). Tart sorbets make lovely palate-cleansers between courses at relaxed, leisurely summer evening meals. Especially refreshing sorbets can be made with rice or cider vinegar, diluted with water or vegetable juices. My own favorites pair fresh lime juice with pureed cucumbers (great with fish), or pureed sweet peppers with basil or cilantro (fabulous with anything grilled).

It’s quite easy to come up with tasty and simple dairy free and vegan recipes for both sorbet and ice cream, but our family favorites are made with coconut milk, with a rich creaminess that rivals dairy versions. Do a little tasting as you mix, because the sweetener amount will vary depending on the ripeness of the fruit and your preferred sweet-tart balance. I usually add bourbon vanilla to pretty much anything, enjoying the floral bloom it brings, but you can always leave it out (or add more!).

Merry Berry Vegan Ice Cream

3 cups ripe raspberries, strawberries, etc.
1/3-1/2 cup brown rice syrup
tiny pinch sea salt
1 can (about 2 cups) coconut milk
OR any alternative milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a food processor, puree berries, then drizzle in brown rice syrup with machine running. Add salt, coconut or other alternative milk, and vanilla, process for a few seconds, then chill until cold. Process in an ice cream maker as directed, then pack into containers and freeze. Makes about 2 pints.

Spunky Rhubarb Vegan Sorbet

4 cups rhubarb, chopped in 1-inch pieces
tiny pinch sea salt
1/4-1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Place cut rhubarb in a saucepan, add 1 cup water, bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer until soft (10-12 minutes). Puree with an immersion blender, add salt, brown rice syrup to taste, and vanilla and chill until cold. Process in an ice cream maker as directed, then pack into containers and freeze. Makes about 2 pints.

Cherry Ginger Vegan Ice Cream

2 cups ripe, pitted, chopped cherries
1/4-1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1 can (about 2 cups) coconut milk
OR any alternative milk
1-2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root

In a food processor, puree fruit, then drizzle in brown rice syrup with machine running. Add coconut or other milk and ginger, process for a few seconds, then chill until cold. Process in an ice cream maker as directed, stir in ginger bits, pack into containers and freeze. Makes about 2 pints.

The Full Dairy Experience

Fresh organic milk and cream from grass fed cows makes a truly memorable real-deal ice cream. Add some ripe and flavorful local fruit and whatever flavoring you desire for something no commercial product can match. Here, too, the brown rice syrup adds gentle, mellow sweetness without a cloying sugary blast, letting the fruit sing for itself. Wait, or vegetables? Huh? Oh my yes. Palate pleasing savory sorbets may be flavored in the French manner with ripe tomatoes or sweet peppers, basil or cilantro, as single flavor notes or in classic combinations like tomato-basil, cucumber-parsley, or fennel with oranges. In France, you might be served a bowl of chilled gazpacho topped with a scoop of basil sorbet that may melt your mind with sheer bliss.

Cherry Or Blueberry Ice Cream

4 cups chopped pitted cherries
OR blueberries (tart ones work well)
1/3-1/2 cup brown rice syrup
tiny pinch sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
grated rind of 1 organic lemon
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream

In a food processor, puree fruit, then drizzle in brown rice syrup with machine running. Add salt, vanilla, lemon zest, milk and cream, process for a few seconds, then chill until cold. Process in an ice cream maker as directed, pack into containers and freeze. Makes about 2 pints. This is also delightful with strawberries and lime zest, or blackberries and orange zest…

Summer Savory Sorbet

2 cups chopped sweet cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup stemmed basil leaves and stems
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups heavy cream

In a food processor, combine tomatoes, basil and salt and puree, add cream and process for a few seconds, then chill until cold (overnight is good). Process in an ice cream maker as directed, then pack into containers and freeze. Makes about 2-1/2 pints. Serve between courses or add a dollop to any chilled soup, from Swedish Cherry to Spanish Gazpacho. Caution: Mildly addictive!

Note: All recipes serve at least one.

 

 

 

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Summery Essentials & Indulgences

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Ann Lovejoy
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A Bevy Of Berries

When the berries arrive in gardens and markets, my kitchen overflows with delicious treats. Most get eaten out of hand; between me and the grandkids, fresh fruit has a very short shelf life. Much of what we don’t enjoy fresh gets frozen or turned into jam (raspberry and blueberry are favorites), but some end up in pies and crumbles and grunts. Grunts? Yup; it’s an old fashioned New England thing that’s very tasty and doesn’t require firing up the oven on a hot day. Serve it warm dessert with homemade peach or raspberry ice cream or billows of whipped cream.

Blueberry Grunt

For this, you need a Dutch oven or heavy, covered, stove top pan.

Prepare the biscuits first:

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (or any)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup milk or buttermilk (or alternative milk)

Stir together dry ingredients, work in butter with fingers, then add milk a little at a time to make a soft dough. Knead gently until smooth, pat out to a circle a little smaller than your pan and about 1/2 inch thick. Cut in pieces, set aside.

In the Dutch oven or pan, combine:

4 cups blueberries
1/2 cup water
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar

Bring to a simmer, then drop the biscuits on top. Cover pan tightly and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Let rest uncovered for 5 minutes, then serve with ice cream. Serves at least one.

Fresh Blueberry Pie

Well chilled and refreshing, this is a delightful finale for a summery meal on a warm evening.

3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon coriander or grated fresh ginger
1 organic orange, juiced, rind grated
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5-6 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
1 9-inch pie crust, baked and cooled (any kind)

In a deep, heavy saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, spice, and orange rind. Stir in 2 tablespoons orange juice and lemon juice and cook over medium high heat until mixture thickens and becomes translucent (4-6 minutes). Stir in berries and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Cool to room temperature, pour into pie shell and chill (covered with a plate or waxed paper) for 6-8 hours or overnight. Serves 6-8.

Summery Vinegars

In high summer, I make small batches of flavored vinegars, experimenting to bring out the best in whatever’s most abundant in the garden. Along with seasoned salts, vinegars are kitchen essentials, useful for adding a spoonful of summer to a meal in any season. The quality of any flavored vinegar depends on the freshness of the additions and the base vinegar you choose: save gallon jugs of harsh white vinegar for cleaning windows. Milder vinegars such as unseasoned rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar will showcase the fruit and/or herbs, though mellow red or white wine vinegars can also be a good match for certain additions.

While some recipes involve steeping the fruit in the vinegar base for days or even weeks, these quickly made versions are both flavorful and stable. However, it’s important to store them properly to preserve their quality. Keep flavored vinegars in a cool, dim place (I refrigerate mine), not a sunny window, since the heat and light can cloud the vinegar and may promote bacterial growth. Also, always heat vinegar in a non-reactive stainless steel or enamel pan.

Really Raspberry Vinegar

2 cups raspberries (tart ones work best)
1-1/2 cups cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar or honey

Combine all ingredients with 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low , cover pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, strain through a fine sieve, pressing gently to get all the liquid out. Pour into a clean bottle, seal and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Very Blueberry Vinegar

2 cups blueberries (tart ones work best)
2 cups cider vinegar
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/4 cup sugar or honey

Combine all ingredients with 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low , cover pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, strain through a fine sieve, pressing gently to get all the liquid out. Pour into a clean bottle, seal and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Lemon Cucumber Vinegar

2 cups coarsely chopped cucumber
2 cups plain (unseasoned) rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar or honey
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon crushed grains of paradise
or peppercorns

Combine all ingredients with 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, cover pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, strain through a fine sieve, pressing gently to get all the liquid out. Pour into a clean bottle, seal and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Nectarine & Lavender Vinegar

2 cups finely chopped ripe nectarines
2 cups plain (unseasoned) rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar or honey
2 tablespoons lavender

Combine all ingredients with 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, cover pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, strain through a fine sieve, pressing gently to get all the liquid out. Pour into a clean bottle, seal and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Tart Pie Cherry & Pepper Vinegar

1 cup pitted tart pie cherries
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar or honey
1/8 teaspoon lightly crushed peppercorns

Combine all ingredients with 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, cover pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, strain through a fine sieve, pressing gently to get all the liquid out (again, save the cherries for something fun; they taste awesome). Pour into a clean bottle, seal and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

 

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Lavender in Garden & Kitchen

Posted on July 16, 2018 by Ann Lovejoy
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Lavender Fields Forever

Yesterday I made a little tussie mussie of lavender and rosebuds for a dear friend going through a tough time and felt my own spirits lift. I find the scent of lavender refreshing, brisk and aromatic rather than florally fragrant, cutting briskly through more cloying perfumes in mixed arrangements. The variety I was cutting was Grosso, a classic variety whose sun warmed scent evokes marvelous memories of the lavender fields of Provence. When I was studying in Italy, friends took me to work on a small French farm near Aix en Provence. In summer, we picked cherries and lavender. In fall, we returned to help with the grape harvest, including some rather lively drinking games featuring local wine and lots of singing of challenge songs (miss a word or line and you have to take a drink).

Back then, lavender, cherries, and grapes were harvested by hand, at least on modest family farms. Lavender was bundled and hand tied in the field. It was hot, back breaking work (and especially unnerving for the kid who went ahead whacking each plant with a stick to chase out lurking adders), but the thought of lunch time kept us going. At midday, the farmer built a small fire against the low stone wall that bound the fields. Over hastily gathered handfuls of wild rosemary, thyme and sage, we grilled fresh sausages which we ate with local bread. After lunch, we walked home along hot, dusty roads lined with red poppies and smoky blue lavender fields that rolled on forever, reflecting the flat blue sky. Both shimmered with heat. Everyone napped in the ancient stone farm house, cool and still, where the smells of lavender scented sheets mingled with the herbal smoke that clung to hair and clothing. After that, we gathered ember red cherries until evening, scrambling up the trees on stout ladders and dangling cherry twin sets over our ears like edible jewelry.

Of Magpies And Donkeys

Grape harvesting was less athletic but far more picturesque. We pickers sat on upturned buckets, snipping off clusters with sharp little clippers and dropping them gently into big baskets. Several small boys ran barefoot through the dust between the rows, taking full baskets and leaving empty ones. They loaded the grapes into the larger panniers of two donkeys, both sporting straw hats with holes cut out for their big ears. Black and white magpies flew down to steal grapes (and our shiny hand clippers, if we were careless). Somehow, I doubt whether any harvest, however local, is still quite as enchanting as that, even in France, and I’m grateful for such delicious memories.

While the maritime Northwest is definitely not the South of France, we can grow lavender quite well here, as long as we choose our spot with care. Siting is especially important in coastal areas, where the morning marine layer can cast a cloudy pall over even sunny gardens; in such places, placing lavender near a gravel path or concrete patio will help thanks to the reflected heat. Give lavender as much sun as you can manage, and make sure the drainage is excellent as well, for like most hardy herbs, lavender prefers open, sandy or loamy soils over soggy clay. In richer soils, they often grow too quickly, becoming floppy and open, and the essential oils will be diluted, thus less potent. To avoid this, do not feed lavenders at all and don’t water them once they’re established.

Trim A Little, Not A Lot

To keep lavenders from getting leggy, give them a lean, dry situation and trim the stems back a bit each summer. Late July is a good time for this with early blooming varieties, or August for later bloomers. Don’t cut back hard into bare stems, because old wood will not reliably grow back. Instead, remove spent bloom stalks along with about 25-30% of the leafy part of each stem.

In France, most commercial lavender is Lavandula x media, a cultivated strain of wild lavenders with especially intense fragrance. These do best in regions with fierce summer heat and warm nights. They don’t perform outstandingly in my cool,coastal part of the Northwest, but that’s not really a problem. In gardening terms, the most fragrant lavenders are not always the handsomest.

Sturdy Lavenders For The PNW

One of my favorite lavenders is Lavandula angustifolia Fred Boutin, a big guy (to 3 feet) with extra-long internodes. Fred’s sturdy stems are terrific for braiding into lavender wands and woven ribbon balls. Fred is also one of the best lavenders for hedging, remaining shapely into middle age and enjoying a longer lifespan than usual. Hidcote lavender is considered a classic choice for lower hedges. The true Hidcote is a compact (to 1 foot) subshrub with dense grey foliage, its lilac flowers set off by dark purple calyces (false petals at the base of the florets). The real thing is a fine plant, but sadly, many plants sold as Hidcote are seedlings instead of cutting-grown clones. When you buy named lavenders, look at the flats carefully. If all the plants look the same in youth, they will remain similar into maturity. Many lavender species are variable (L. angustifolia has several dozen named selections), so their seedlings may be green or grey, tall or short, with flowers in any shade of lavender to pink or even white.

French or Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) has large flower heads with colorful bracts that make a showy display in summer. Most flower in purple or pink, but white forms are occasionally available. They’re a bit more tender in cool summer inland gardens but perform brilliantly in sunny urban or beach gardens. I’m quite fine of pine scented green lavender (Lavandula viridis), with grass green foliage and jade green flowers with an intense, spicy scent. These tender little shrubs often vanish in a hard winter but self sow readily in grit or gravel paths. The seedlings grow quickly into foot-tall replacements that fill the air with penetrating fragrance.

Lavender In The Kitchen

In the kitchen, lavender can be quite versatile, leaping from lemonade, sorbet, and shortbreads to savory marinades, spicy rubs for grilled fish or fowl, and salad dressings. In France, peach jam is spunky with lavender blossoms, and lavender sorbet makes an intriguing palate cleanser between courses. Gather lavender flowers just as the buds are opening and dry them on the stem in a dim, dark place until crisp. Remove the chaff by blowing gently on a handful, then experiment to see what tastes best to you.

For creamy lavender honey, puree 1 tablespoon crushed dried lavender with 1 cup honey and 2 tablespoons honeycomb in a food processor. To make fragrant lavender sugar, grind 1 cup sugar with 1 tablespoon of dried lavender in a food processor, then store in a closed container for 2-3 weeks. Make lavender honey butter by mashing 1/2 cup unsalted butter with 2 tablespoons honey and 1 teaspoon crushed dried lavender.

Herbs de Provence

This neo-classic herb combination adds sparkle to vegetables, chicken, grilled fish, or soups and stews. Vary ingredients and proportions as French cooks do, adding or substituting dried orange zest, tarragon, sage, or mint. If using fresh herbs, bake in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet at 225 degrees F. until barely crisp (15-20 minutes).

2 tablespoons dried lavender
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried lemon zest

Bend well and store in tightly closed glass jar out of direct sunlight. Makes about 2/3 cup.

Fresh Lavender Lemonade

2 tablespoons fresh lavender florets
1 quart lemonade
4 lavender sprigs
1 organic lemon, sliced thinly

Put lavender in a small saucepan, pour 1 cup boiling water over it and cover. Let steep 20 minutes, strain (a tea strainer works great) and add to lemonade. Pour into glasses over ice, garnished with lavender sprigs and a lemon slice. Serves four.

Lavender and Rosemary Iced Tea

2 teaspoons fresh lavender florets
2 teaspoons stemmed fresh rosemary
1 quart iced tea (your favorite)
4 sprigs mint

Put lavender and rosemary in a small saucepan, pour 1 cup boiling water over them and cover. Let steep 20 minutes, strain (a tea strainer works great) and add to iced tea. Pour into glasses over ice, garnished with mint sprigs. Serves four.

 

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