Adrienne Crombie

Cooking with Lavender

November 5, 2020 by Adrienne Crombie

I love to cook. I love the textures, the smells, and the process of combining select ingredients and transforming them into something delightful and yummy. I love the tried and true recipes I can always rely on and I like trying out new ones. I really like knowing what I’m putting into my body. It’s amazing when I’ve grown some or even most of the ingredients myself to bring it from a seed in the dirt to food in the mouth.

All that being said, I’m also busy. I’m an artist and I have a lavender farm, 4 goats, a flock of chickens and a good marriage and they all require some attention. I don’t want to spend all my time in the kitchen puttering around. So, I like recipes that are simple and satisfying. My approach to cooking with lavender is the similar. There are some pretty fancy recipes out there, but I like to keep it simple and let the lavender speak for itself.

Lavender is unique, sophisticated but surprisingly compatible with a lot of different foods. I will be sharing some clever ways to enjoy lavender that may become staples in your kitchen. I’m also looking forward to some exploration into new recipes this winter that I will share with you. Lavender is such a nice way to bring a sweet memory of summer into a cold winter day.

More to come!

Lavender Latte at Home

November 5, 2020 by Adrienne Crombie

I like my coffee super light in the morning: half coffee and half hot milk. It’s my “At Home Latte”. I use good quality organic, fair trade coffee and I make it in the French press. While the coffee is brewing, I heat up the milk in a small saucepan, using a whisk to keep it from scorching and to give it a little latte foam.

That’s my morning ritual. After I’ve milked the goats. So, not only have I earned a great cup of At Home Latte, but the milk is the best milk on the planet. But you can just use any good organic milk.

If I want to elevate my experience to a truly sublime cuppa, it’s easy to just sprinkle in a teaspoon of culinary lavender buds and add a spot of vanilla extract.

lavender buds in hot milk — Sprinkle a teaspoon of culinary lavender buds and a drop of vanilla extract into hot milk.

It’s a good idea to whisk the buds into the milk to blend them in and foam the milk a bit.

Whisk the lavender buds into the hot milk.

Next set a small strainer over your cup of hot coffee and pour the lavender infused hot milk straight into your cup. I like to push out as much liquid as I can before I toss the used buds into the compost.

Strain lavender buds — Strain the hot infused milk directly into your hot cup of coffee.

If you want to make enough for several cups, you could strain the hot milk into a thermos or Airpot and allow guests to serve themselves with as much hot lavender milk as they like.

I served Lavender Latte recently with an Apple Galette and it was a divine combination.

Shop Online and Pick Up at the Farm

November 2, 2020 by Adrienne Crombie

Our Open Air Farm Shop is closed for the season but you can still order online at the Tiny Shop and schedule a drive through pick-up at the farm.

Pick up hours are every week, Wednesday through Sunday (except holidays).

Lavender Plants Available Spring 2021

October 2, 2020 by Adrienne Crombie

Lavender plants in both English and French varieties will be available on the farm in Spring 2021.

Super Blue Lavender

April 29, 2020 by Adrienne Crombie

There are so many varieties of lavender to choose from. When you love lavender, it’s a world of opportunity to explore. It’s also a bit of a risk when growing lavender in New Jersey when you try a new variety of lavender and find out that it doesn’t hold up to our weather extremes.

As lavender farmers who have survived the last two years of harsh winters and wet, cold springs, we know better than most the heartbreak of loosing young lavender plants to the ravages of weather. The good news is that we have had consistent success with a new variety called Super Blue lavender.

Super Blue Lavender close up — Super Blue lavender in it’s first bloom.

Super Blue lavender is an Angustifolia with grey-green foliage, and a rich, deep purple flower. The stems grow up to 32 inches long and the flower is very impressive in size and color. The first bloom is in mid June then look for a second bloom in August through September. It is bred to survive the winters and is also tolerant of heat and humidity. Like all Angustifolia, the bud can be can be used as a culinary. Like all lavenders, it attracts beneficial insects and butterflies and is deer and rabbit resistant.

Super Blue has worked it way into our hearts and become our number one favorite.

Spring is the best time to plant lavender. We have lots of Super Blue lavender plants available for purchase and pick up. Please click the link Super Blue Lavender to purchase and schedule your pick up time.