Lavender

Lavender Glossary |Health Benefit + Recipes with Lavender | Tarladalal.com Viewed 4015 times

Description
Lavender is an incredibly versatile herb for cooking. In today's upscale restaurants, fresh edible flowers are making a comeback as enhancements to both the flavor and appearance of food. As a member of the same family as many of our most popular herbs, it is not surprising that lavender is edible and that its use in food preparation is also returning.
Lavender is a member of the mint family and is close to rosemary, sage, and thyme. It is best used with fennel, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, and savory.

How to select
Choose fresh dried flowers available in market which are sealed properly else the fragrance gets evaporated in open packs.

Culinary Uses
Flowers and leaves can be used fresh, and both buds and stems can be used dried.
The lavender flowers add a beautiful color to salads. Lavender can also be substituted for rosemary in many bread recipes.
Flowers look beautiful and taste good too in a glass of champagne, with chocolate cake, or as a garnish for sorbets or ice creams. Lavender lends itself to savory dishes also, from hearty stews to wine-reduced sauces. Diminutive blooms add a mysterious scent to custards, flans or sorbets.