One of my favorite recipes using fresh or dried herbs is herb butter.  I've been making this recipe for years. It really enhances the flavor of everything.  From vegetables to meat, fish and poultry.  Of course my herb butter always has lavender in it.  Get together with a friend or two and make multiple batches, you might as well, you already have the herbs.   This can make a great hostess gift or put it in a Christmas gift basket.

To make the process even easier you can use our already made "Lavender Herbs de Provence". Our herbs de provence are made from the finest organic herbs including Utah's finest organic culinary lavender and are guaranteed to make herb butter or anything you put it on taste delicious!

HERB BUTTER

-1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

-chopped fresh herbs as follows
-1Tbs. parsley
-1Tbs. tarragon
-1 Tbs. chives
-1Tbs. chervil
-1 Tbs. thyme
-1 Tsp. dried ground Lavender
-2 gloves garlic mashed
-2 large shallots chopped
-1 tsp. salt
-pepper to taste

With butter room temperature, mix all of the above ingredients together.  Roll into 2 cylinders.  Wrap in clear plastic wrap and freeze. Tip:  it can be easier to roll if you refrigerate the butter to harden up a little.  I also put it in a freezer bag once rolled and wrapped.  When using, i just take the butter out of the freezer a few  minutes before hand, and cut off the amount I want to use.  Returning the rest to the freezer.  

The french Macaron craze has hit America with full force the last couple of years.  I had my first real experience with macarons in France over 20 years ago at the famous chocolate shop in Paris called "La Masion du Chocolat".  After tasting them I wanted to learn how to make them but, they just looked too delicate and difficult to make.  

 A couple of months ago I decided it was time to learn how to make a real french macaron.  I took a class on the art of making these delicious little treats.  The teacher of that class's main focus was on making them look perfect.  I wanted them to look good as well, but more importantly I wanted them to taste good, and was having a hard finding a way to make them taste delicious and look perfect.  Then I met a wonderful cook at the Salt lake farmers market, She shared some of her Macarons with me and they were delicious.  She said, "they aren't perfect, but they taste good".  I liked that philosophy.  So below is my recipe for delicious (although sometimes imperfect looking) macarons:

Basic Macaron Recipe

pre-heat oven to 300

-68 gram egg whites, 

(covered and aged at room temp for 12-24 hours)

-34 grams sugar

-75 grams blanched almonds

-136 grams confectioners sugar

Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer, mix until frothy. Add sugar a little at a time, scraping down sides of bowl.  When sugar is incorporated turn mixer to med high and beat until stiff peaks form.  

Combine almonds and confectioners sugar in a food processor until you can not distinguish the almonds from the sugar.  

With a spatula incorporate half of the almond mixture into the egg whites.  This first half you mix slightly vigorously just until almonds are incorporated.  The second half of the almonds mixture should be incorporated gently using a folding technique.  Fold in just until all is combine, not too much.

Fit a large pastry bag with a #6 or #7 tip.  Pipe a 1 inch rounds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Now, if you want to try to be perfect you can down load a pattern you put under your parchment. Let Macarons sit on the counter for about an hour so a shell can form.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden.

cool and fill.    

One of our most popular products is our Lavender Simple Syrup.  Whether you get a bottle for yourself or a gift for a friend this will be a favorite in anyones pantry.

 It can be used in a variety of ways.  Drizzle it over fresh fruit or add a splash to the bottom of a glass before adding your favorite drink.  It can also be used on your favorite ice cream, brush it on cake right out of the oven or sweeten your hot chocolate or tea.  Cold or hot we think you'll agree that our organic lavender infused syrup makes anything taste gourmet.

Lavender simple syrup drizzled over peaches. Yum!

To find out more about our syrup click here.

We are excited to announce that The Lavender Apple  is now a part of Utah's Own!  What is Utah's Own? They are an organization that is committed to helping local farmers and companies expand and thrive.  Their mission is three fold:

STRENGTHEN

consumer culture to buy local agriculture and food products.

ENCOURAGE

consumer to build relationships with farmers and companies who grow and make their food locally.

SUPPORT

 local farms and companies.  

To read more about Utah's Own, their mission, their local farmers and companies please visit their website here.