Cooking with culinary lavender – A Bountiful Heritage

(Follow-up post to “Eat, Drink, Plant Lavender” & “Cooking with Culinary Lavender” event at Glenwood’s Downtown Market)

LAVENDER INFUSED CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Ingredients:

1 c heavy cream

10 oz. chocolate – 8 oz. good quality, high coca content bittersweet like Ghirardelli; 2 oz. semi sweet (okay to use chips in this quantity).

Option: 5 oz. each high quality bittersweet/semi-sweet

3 tbsp. butter – softened

2 tsp. culinary lavender – Miss Katherine cultivar or other sweet/mild cultivar. Reduce to 1 tsp. if using stronger, more aromatic lavender.

Prep:

Crush lavender with a mortar and pestle.

Break chocolate into small pieces (pound or shave).

(If coating—recommended—put into small ramekins or bowls. Coatings: crushed, toasted nuts like almonds, walnuts, or pecans; cocoa powder, ground espresso)

Prepare:

Heat cream to simmer. Remove from heat.

Add chocolate. Stir slowly. When partially melted add butter. Whisk until glossy. (You are making a chocolate ganache).Add lavender and whisk until incorporated.

Chill:

Option 1 – Pour into a bowl and chill completely (approx. 4 hours). Best for larger truffles.

Option 2 – Line a shallow square with non-stick foil and pour into a 1” layer. Chill completely. Best for small truffles.

Form:

Option 1 – Working next to the sink with a bowl of ice water, scoop out chocolate with melon baller or small spoon. Form into ball quickly with palm of hands. If coating, toss/roll. Put on parchment lined tray or storage container and chill minimum 1 hour before serving.

Option 2 – Cut into small squares with a chilled knife. Lift off square and roll. This technique is faster and a little less messy, but you must be careful foil is not stuck into chocolate. Coat/toss/store/chill as above.

NOTE – If using multiple coatings, toss in nuts last to avoid allergen contamination.

Carol Schott of Lamborn Mountain Farmstead harvesting lavender.

Lavender may be an ancient herb used by Egyptian, Greek, and Roman cultures, but it is a new crop in Western Colorado.

In the spring of 2009, a small group of lavender enthusiasts explored growing the fragrant herb on the Western Slope—primarily in the Grand and North Fork Valleys. They formed a nonprofit, the Lavender Association of Western Colorado, and began their cultivation journey with support from the Colorado State University Extension-Tri River Area (Counties: Delta, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray).

July 10-12, 2015 is the 5^th Annual Lavender Festival, a celebration of the lovely buds that now thrive under in the semi-arid micro-climates of Western Colorado. The festival activities include: a chauffeured farm tour; a Feast in the Field dining experience; a park packed with demonstrations, vendors, and workshops; and a mapped out self-guided tour.

Want to learn more? Here are a few Lavender FAQs:

History:

In ancient times lavender was used for mummification and perfume by the Egyptian’s, Phoenicians, and peoples of Arabia. During the Middle ages it was considered an herb of love and was used as an aphrodisiac.

In 1652, Culpeper recommended that “two spoonfuls of the distilled water of the flowers taken helpeth them that have lost their voice; as also the tremblings and passions of the heart, and faintings and swounings [sic].” England’s Queen Elizabeth I drank lavender tea to help ease her migraines, and during WWI, nurses bathed soldiers’ wounds with lavender washes.

Other historical uses include embalming corpses, curing animals of lice, taming lions and tigers, repelling mosquitoes, snuff flavoring, and as an ingredient in special lacquers and varnishes.

Herb:

Lavender is a member of the mint family.
English Lavender, Lavendula angustifolia, is the most widely cultivated species (synonyms – L. vera, L. latifola, L. officinalis, L. spica, L. delphinensis).
Lavender oil contains up to 40% linalyl acetate and 30% linalol. Linalol is a terpene alcohol that is non-toxic to humans, yet naturally antimicrobial.
The potency of the lavender flowers increases with drying.

Culinary:

bon appétit has a great guideline for cooking with lavender.
Try lavender Sugar and Salt.
Boulder Locavore features lavender infused recipes from lemonade to lamb, potatoes to peaches.

(Additional sources cited/quoted include “What’s Cooking America” Internet resource and NC State University)