Add a Little Lavender to your Summer Menu

Temperatures may be rising as we steer through these hot days of summer, but we’ve got a few great (and easy) recipes to add to your menu to help cool you off – with a touch of lavender of course.

Nothing says summer like ice cream, but lavender really kicks up this tasty treat to a new level.

Lavender-Honey Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup Lavender Life dried culinary lavender
• 1/3 cup Lavender Life raw, lavender-infused honey
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Large bowl of ice

Combine milk, lavender, and honey in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then cover, and remove from heat. Let steep for about 5 minutes. Strain mixture and set milk aside. Discard the lavender.

Combine the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl, and beat on medium-high speed with an electric mixer, until thick (about 5 minutes). Next, return milk to a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add half the milk to egg-yolk mixture, and whisk until blended well. Stir mixture into remaining milk, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens up.

Remove from heat, and immediately stir in cream. Strain mixture into a medium mixing bowl set in an ice-water bath, and let stand until chilled, stirring from time to time.

Freeze in an ice-cream maker (follow manufacturer’s instructions), and store in an airtight plastic container for up to 2 weeks.

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Lemonade…the official drink of summer. This refreshing beverage pairs well with all your summertime meals – from fresh, crisp salads to savory meats on the grill.

Lavender Lemonade

Ingredients

• 1 tbs. Lavender Life dried culinary lavender
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 cups cold water
• Ice

In a medium-sized bowl, pour the sugar over the dried lavender. Gently rub the lavender into the sugar until broken up into small pieces.

Next, pour 2 cups of boiling water over the lavender-sugar mixture and stir well until sugar has completely melted. Then cover bowl and let mixture infuse for 30 minutes, or as long as 3 hours.

Strain the lavender-infused simple syrup and pour into a pitcher, then stir in lemon juice. Add 2 more cups of cold water. Add additional sugar if too tart, or add lemon juice if too sweet. Add ice and water to desired level of concentration.

Pour into glasses with ice, and add lemon slices for garnish.

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We came across this amazing recipe on Inspired Taste. Trust us, you’ve never had chicken like this before…roasted, savory, delicious, and features a “secret” game-changer ingredient.

Roasted Lavender Honey Glazed Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 (5-6 lb.) chicken, quartered
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. Lavender Life dried culinary lavender
• 1 tbs. dried thyme
• 1 tbs. dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup pure honey
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Position an oven rack towards the middle of the oven then heat oven to 400^o. Then season chicken quarters with about 1 teaspoon of salt and a little black pepper. In one layer, place on to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

While chicken is baking, add lavender, thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes, honey and the balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk until well blended. When warmed through, remove from heat and set aside.

After 20 minutes of roasting, baste the chicken with the lavender honey glaze every 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked though and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 165 ^o, an additional 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove chicken from the oven, loosely cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.