By Vicky Babcock

Lavender – part two

…with immediacy and intensity, smell activates the memory, allowing our minds to travel freely in time.” – Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume, 1984.

Lavender, the base for most dream pillows, can chase away nightmares and ease stress. It is one of the herbs used in four thieves vinegar, which is believed to have been used in the 1800s to ward off the plague. No wonder this magnificent herb is considered to be good luck!

Lavender likes a sunny spot in well-drained soil. It won’t tolerate wet feet. It is fairly disease resistant and pest resistant—an excellent choice in the garden since the deer will not touch it. If purchasing lavender for culinary purposes, be sure to get organic or culinary lavender. While both the leaves and the buds are fragrant and edible, most of the oils are concentrated in the buds.

Try lavender in the bath, the dryer, your pillow or your dresser drawer. Or try the following recipe—we think you’ll agree it’s a keeper.

Lavender Lemon Bars

Ingredients: Topping:

¾ cup butter 1 ¾ cups sugar

½ cup confectioners sugar 1/3 cup flour

2 cups flour ½ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup ground almonds 4 eggs

1-2 teaspoons Lavender flowers, crushed

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated fresh lemon rind

confectioners’ sugar

In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and ½ cup powdered sugar. Add the 2 cups flour, almonds, lavender and lemon peel, and beat until crumbly. Pat into an ungreased 13x9x2 inch baking dish. Bake in pre-heated oven 350◦ for 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Meanwhile, in another small mixing bowl. Combine sugar for topping, flour, baking soda, eggs and lemon juice; beat until frothy.  Pour over HOT crust.  Bake at 350◦ for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on wire rack—dust with powdered sugar.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Brought to you by Solon Market located at 15185 Algoma Avenue.  For more information call 616-696-1718.  Like us on facebook for updates.

By Vicky Babcock

Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly, lavender’s green, when you are king, dilly dilly, I shall be queen.

You may think we are deviating from our theme of fresh edible foods. Not so. Lavender, most widely known for its use in aromatherapy products, is an edible herb—both its leaves and buds can be used in that capacity. Once a favorite choice for the chefs of kings, lavender somehow fell from the list of common cooking herbs.

Common it is not. Lavender’s unique flavor lends itself well to dishes with chicken or fish, but it is also used to enhance the flavor of cookies and lemonades. If you are trying out lavender for the first time, a light hand is best as its flavor can be overpowering.

Lavender originated in the Mediterranean, where it remains a wild herb as well as a cultivated plant. Referred to as Spikenard in the Bible, lavender is believed to be the oil used to anoint the feet of Jesus. From the root word “lave” (to wash), lavender has been used for that purpose since the written word. It is a natural astringent, mild bug repellant, aid to relaxation and headache reliever.

Check out next week’s Post for more on this versatile plant and try a sample of our recipe at Market. Have a happy holiday!

Lavender Shortbread

1 ½ cups sifted flour

¾ cup confectioners sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ lb. butter, softened to room temp.

2 tbsp. Fresh lavender buds or 1 tbsp.

dried culinary lavender, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 325º f.

Mix all ingredients together. Knead until consistency becomes doughy.  Press firmly into shortbread mold (or pie plate) making sure to fill in all the space in the shortbread mold. Bake 1 hour. (Shortbread should be pale in color—not brown)  Unmold while still warm. Great warm or room temp.

Fresh Market is brought to you by Solon  Market located at 15185 Algoma Avenue.  For more information call 616-696-1718.  Like us on facebook for updates.