Hot, Strong and Steamy

From Kathy Gehrt — Blog by Kathy Gehrt

October 26, 2010

A strong storm hit Seattle yesterday and today. I sat at my dining room table this morning and watched the wind push around the hanging pots on my deck. A large cedar tree near the rear of our house bent over about 45 degrees, but withstood the wind gusts.

Rain came down in sheets. Water streamed down the street like a river. Dark clouds filled the sky. I needed a strong, hot and steamy drink to warm me up and remind me of summer. So I brewed up some lattes infused with the flavor of lavender. After steaming milk, I added a 1/4 teaspoon of the Lavender Extract that I got from Lavender Wind Farm. This extract adds just a hint of flavor, a small reminder of summer on this dark, stormy day.

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Alison’s Artistry

From Kathy Gehrt — Blog by Kathy Gehrt

October 5, 2010

What I love best about going out to promote my book “Discover Cooking with Lavender” is meeting people and hearing about how they use lavender. This past weekend, Bella Home and Garden invited me to their shop to share my secrets about cooking with lavender. Once again, I met some awe-inspiring people.

When I met Alison, her energy and enthusiasm was obvious. Alison teaches in physical education in an elementary school. On a part-time basis, Alison does bookkeeping and payroll. And if that is not enough to keep her out of trouble, she moonlights creating unique and delicious cookies and brownies. Oh, and she also has two teenage children. I couldn’t help wondering where Alison gets her energy!

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Grilled Pineapple with Pink Peppercorns and Lavender

From Kathy Gehrt — Blog by Kathy Gehrt

September 27, 2010

Exotic, flavorful and sweet, grilled pineapple is a special summer dessert. I love to serve this with vanilla ice cream. Pink peppercorns, a berry from the Baies Rose plant or, by another name, the Peppertree, add color and seasoning. Lavender adds flavor and brings out the sweetness of the pineapple. Grilling pineapple softens and adds grill marks to the golden pineapple.

Ingredients

1 pineapple skinned and cored. (How? Check out this video.)

1 tablespoon pink peppercorns, crushed

1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender buds

1 tablespoon olive oil

fresh sprigs of lavender for garnish

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