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Email Story to a Friend June 21, 2006 Lovely lavender By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune CENTRAL POINT — Given its purple splendor and soothing fragrance, a garden dedicated to lavender makes perfect sense. Yet just a few yards away, lavender seems a non sequitur in the culinary herb garden at Oregon State University's Extension Service. "People aren't really aware of cooking with lavender," said Ellen Scannell, an OSU master gardener. "They have to get past the perfume and potpourri bit." Granted, the fragrance popularized by Britain's Queen Victoria is more common in bathrooms than in kitchens. But Americans are slowly starting to realize what the French have known for centuries. A touch of lavender adds a certain je ne sais quoi in dishes ranging from desserts to roasted meats. With English lavenders in full bloom — the French varieties soon to follow — this member of the mint family can be a summertime staple. As with all herbs, but particularly with lavender, cooks benefit from growing their own. Food-grade lavender should be free of pesticides and other chemicals. Do not eat lavender from florists, nurseries, garden centers or craft suppliers. Advertisement Unlike cooking with most other herbs, the key to handling lavender is restraint. Too much and the taste becomes bitter or perfume-like. Dried flowers are usually about three times more potent than a comparable volume of fresh flowers. "It takes a very light hand," Scannell "It takes a very light hand," Scannell said. She uses two tablespoons of the herb in a lavender-scented pound cake. Finely grinding the flowers with sugar produces a dense, moist dessert dotted with minute purple flecks. Scannell prefers the sweeter English lavenders, generally considered most suitable for cooking. But more home cooks, Scannell said, are turning to Provence and Grosso, hybrid varieties developed by crossing English lavenders with the species latifolia, which produces large quantities of oil. Scannell avoids cooking with French, Spanish and green lavenders, which have a piney, camphoric flavor. However, Williams lavender growers Jim and Dotti Becker say these varieties are excellent in herb breads and for grilling and smoking meats, fish and vegetables. A traditional ingredient in the savory herb blend Herbes de Provence, lavender, Scannell said, also is a natural partner with potatoes, ginger, citrus, chilies, peaches, plums, and, of course, chocolate. Local chocolatier Jeff Shepherd turned lavender into green with a caramel recipe that wowed even Martha Stewart. Since Stewart ordered 250 pounds of Lillie Belle Farms' Lavender Fleur de Sel Caramels for her corporate Christmas gift last year, the Central Point-based company can't make them fast enough. "I'm as shocked as anybody," Shepherd said. Growing quietly among raspberries, strawberries and boysenberries on Shepherd's farm outside Jacksonville, lavender wasn't the obvious muse for his boutique chocolates. But last fall, Shepherd toyed with the idea of incorporating flowers from the "really big, old bushes" into a candy recipe. "I got to do something with this," Shepherd said. But even the veteran chef fell victim to lavender's potency, making what he called "some obnoxious chocolates." "I gotta admit, I made some terrible mistakes," he said. "There is a limit to lavender." He finally determined the floral essence tasted better with caramel instead of chocolate. He soaks fresh Provence blossoms in cream and strains them out before making the filling for Lavender Fleur de Sels. He gave the new confection a test run in a gift box of other assorted chocolates. Soon customers were asking if he could package just the sea salt-topped caramel, featured in the May issue of Sunset magazine. Indeed, the quirky caramel looks to become Shepherd's most popular creation as he prepares to triple production and distribute them through Whole Foods Market of Austin, Texas. A 12-piece box sells for $18. "I think I need all the lavender I can grow now," Shepherd said. Struggling a year ago to explain lavender's lure, he now has a sweet answer when asked: "Why would you want to have something that smells like an old lady's bathroom?" Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations --> online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Entertainment Guide --> Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Casino Reviews Advertisement s Advertisement