Use this easy side-dish recipe, along with some aromatic floral and herbal sprigs, to elevate the little potato from humble root to irresistible garden cuisine.
Ingredients

• 2 pounds multi-color little potatoes
• 2–3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons culinary lavender buds
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• Sea salt in salt grinder
• Peppercorns in pepper grinder
• Fresh green sprigs of rosemary & lavender, if available

Instructions

1. ​Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a large baking pan with non-stick spray, or coat with olive oil or butter if preferred.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine olive oil and herbs.
3. Wash the potatoes and slice in half.  Add sliced potatoes to the bowl and stir to coat all potato pieces.
4. In the prepared pan, spread the herb-coated potatoes in a single layer.
5. Roast for 30–60 minutes, depending on the size of the potato bites and how crispy you want them.
6. Grind salt and pepper over the roasted potatoes, to taste. Garnish with a few green sprigs of rosemary and lavender.

Serves 4-6

Golden on the outside, fluffy in the middle, these flaky, cheesy biscuits hold a bouquet of garden-fresh goodness. 
      Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground lavender
• 1/4 cup assorted fresh herbs, chopped (I use thyme, rosemary, and chives—but parsley, dill, oregano, tarragon, winter savory, and basil are also friendly with both biscuits and lavender)
• 1/2 cup cold Feta cheese crumbles (Sharp cheddar can be substituted for those who don’t like the flavor of Feta).
• 1 cup cold buttermilk

      Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450º.
2. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat if you like. Otherwise use an ungreased pan.
3. Cut the butter into half-inch chunks.  Keep the chunks in the freezer until ready to use.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Make sure to de-lump the baking powder and soda before adding to the flour.
5. Toss the cold butter chunks into the flour mixture to coat the cubes. Mash up the butter with a pastry blender or two knives.  Leave plenty of pea-sized pieces of butter.
6. Lightly stir in herbs and cheese.
7. Add buttermilk and stir with a rubber spatula just until flour is absorbed.
8. Drop heaping tablespoons (scant quarter-cups) of dough onto baking pan.
9. Bake 12–15 minutes, until golden brown. 
10. Serve warm, garnished with sprigs of rosemary and lavender.

     TIP:  Three keys to fluffy, flaky biscuits:

• Cold ingredients.  Pellets of butter need to melt in the oven, and not before. The melting butter creates pockets of steam to raise the dough into flaky layers.
• Light mixing. Tough biscuits come from overmixing.
• Hot oven. High heat produces that golden, crispy shell and soft yummy middle.

      Makes about 12 biscuits

In the New World of seventeenth century America, bundles of herbs hung from hooks and rafters within homes, within easy reach for remedies, teas, seasonings, and air freshening. Women tended to gardens in huge gathered skirts over padded bolsters and petticoats. Men labored without a plow, clad in metal armor for protection. But try as the colonists might to grow their beloved lavender, plants failed in the climate of New England gardens.
            Today’s gardeners can easily grow many newer varieties that are suited for a broad range of climates. (No metal armor or petticoats needed.) Some gardeners may plant lavender for the slender blossoming spikes that paint a touch of wistful romance into their garden bed, or for blossoms that cast their scent as a lure for honeybees. Certainly beauty and fragrance are reason enough, but lavender is as beneficial to grow today as it has been throughout history.

• Lavender repels slugs, flies, moths, and mosquitoes. Deer and rodents don’t care for its taste.
• Lavender is a staple of many herbal remedies, for relaxation and headaches, for topical burns and wounds, and more.
• Lavender is an effective deodorizer for air, carpets, laundries, cars, closets, and more.
• Lavender is a seasoning for sweet and savory cooking.
• Leftover stems can be used as kindling, mulch, or a spring pond additive to clarify water that has turned green over the winter.
• Quail often nest under the refuge of lavender shrubs, hiding their babies from birds of prey.
• Lavender flowers offer a buffet of sweet nectar for butterflies and hummingbirds, and a reservoir of pollen for bees and ladybugs.

​To learn more about growing lavender, you’ll find lots of tips in my new book (available April 2021):  Lavender: 50 Self-Care Recipes and Projects for Natural Wellness Kindle Edition

This lavender recipe is easy to prepare and elegant to serve! Panna Cotta infused with lavender is a treat to make when you want to hear some oohs and ahs. Think small in choosing your serving pieces for this calorie-rich delight. Footed dessert bowls or champagne coupes with demitasse spoons are perfect.  
Ingredients
LAVENDER PANNA COTTA

• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 1 envelope gelatin
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup half-n-half
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 tablespoons dried lavender buds

Tip:  You could substitute canned coconut milk or even nonfat yogurt for the cream.
LEMON GLAZE

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar

GARNISH

• 6-12 oz fresh raspberries (at least 6 nice berries per serving)
• 1 tsp fresh or dried lavender buds

Instructions
LAVENDER PANNA COTTA
Pour the water into a small dish and lightly sprinkle gelatin into the water. (Plopping instead of sprinkling will give you lumps of undissolved gelatin, so make sure to sprinkle.)  Let sit 5-10 minutes to bloom.

1. While waiting for the gelatin to soften, pour the cream, half-n-half, and sugar into a small saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar, and watch closely while heating almost to a boil over medium heat. But do not boil the cream.  When little bubbles begin forming around the rim of the pan, remove the pan from heat.  Stir in lavender buds and cover.   Let stand and steep for 10 minutes.
2. Microwave the bloomed gelatin for about 10 seconds, until syrupy.
3. Combine the liquefied gelatin into the cream mixture.  Stir well.  Strain out lavender buds using a fine-mesh strainer over an empty bowl.  Immediately place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside to cool to room temperature.  (It is important to let the mixture cool before pouring into individual molds.  A still-hot mixture would cause some of the gelatin to settle in a layer on the bottom of the mold.)
4. Lightly coat four 6-oz molds, custard dishes, wine glasses, or muffin cups with nonstick spray.
5. Stir and pour the cooled mixed into the individual serving dishes.  Cover each dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours (overnight is better) until firmly set.

LEMON GLAZE

1. In a small saucepan, stir the lemon juice and sugar together. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for two minutes.
2. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.

Just before serving, drizzle the lemon glaze over the top of each Panna Cotta.  Garnish with half a dozen raspberries and a sprinkling of lavender flowers.
Serves:  4-6 depending on size of portions.

What a treat to see this review of my latest book, The Lavender of Sequim: America's Provence, on www.SeattleBookReview.com:

"The Lavender of Sequim celebrates Sequim’s agricultural history and the growth of the lavender industry, as well as the medicinal purposes of lavender, varieties of the plant, and how to grow, harvest, and dry it. The author provides a handy chart detailing which foods and flavors complement lavender, and which varieties of lavender work best in the kitchen. I can’t wait to try her recipe for Fresh-Squeezed Lavender Limeade. Sequim’s lavender farms comprise their own section and, sprinkled with sweet quotations throughout, the book is a joy to browse. My favorite part of this guide was the breathtaking pictures….If you’re interested in lavender, or you’re planning a trip to the area, this is an excellent guide."
~SeattleBookReview.com

This morning our local newspaper, The Sequim Gazette, ran a terrific piece about my latest book, The Lavender of Sequim: America's Provence.  Here's the link if you'd like to check it out!