Chicken piccata is such a wonderful dish. I've never met a plate of chicken piccata I didn't like. This recipe is full of rich flavors, and is an easy one pot under 15 minute meal to make. I love fancy but not fussy food like this and know you will too. 

Ingredients: 

2 chicken breasts, butterflied and separated 

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons butter

juice from 1 lemon

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup capers

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup fresh taragon 

lavender salt and pepper

Directions:

Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper, then bread with flour. Over medium high heat,  melt your 1/2 of your butter and all of your olive oil, when pan reaches high heat, add your chicken and cook until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside. Into your pan, add your stock, lemon juice, and capers. Bring to a boil. Add chicken to pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove your chicken again and place on platter. Add the other half of your butter and your taragon to remaining sauce and pour over chicken. 

Bon Appetit! 

We have had to start from scratch when it came to our knowledge of running a lavender farm. Over the years it has become easier and easier. Today I wanted to share a quick trick of how to easily debud your lavender. All of our products FOUND HERE use our family farm organic lavender. Needless to say, we go through a lot of these beautifully smelling little purple buds. Here is the process for how our lavender goes from field directly to you. 

After we harvest and dry our lavender, we have them broken up into 2 inch bundles. You simply take the dried lavender bundles in between the palms of your hands and roll your hands back and forth together as if you were trying to warm your hands. The motion makes the buds fall right off the stems and we are left with nothing but pure lavender in our bowls. 

It's a labor intensive process, but it sure smells good! 

Get your hands on your very own organic lavender bundles through our new Etsy Shop! 
http://www.etsy.com/shop/LavenderAppleFarm?ref=l2-shopheader-name 
Hope you all have a wonderful spring weekend!

I don't know about you, but I've never been a fan of traditional potato salad. The thick fattening mayo laden dressings, left to just sit out in the hot sun at picnics; no thank you. That is why I absolutely LOVE this version of potato salad. Its amazingly flavorful and addicting, but its low in fat and mayo free. Its loaded with delicious herbs too. Yes please. 

Ingredients: 

3 pounds small red potatoes

2 small garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons white wine

2 tablespoons chicken stock

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

1/4 tsp culinary lavender

1/2 cup olive oil

1 shallot, finely diced

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Boil your potatoes in salted water for about 10 minutes until just tender. Remove from the heat and drain the potatoes and let them sit in the hot pot for another 10 minutes. When cooled, cut the potatoes into quarters or halves depending on their size, you want them to be just about bite size. Mix together the remaining ingredients and cover your potatoes with the dressing. Place the potatoes in the fridge for a couple of hours to let the flavors deepen, better yet even overnight if you have time. 

I always try to remember to double this recipe when I make it, because its a given I will want to have some prior to serving my family, and I will always want left overs of this too. Hope you enjoy it just as much as we do!

Bon Appetite! 

One of my favorite spring time meals is grilled leg of lamb. There is something so fresh and springy about it. Paired with asparagus and you have the perfect Sunday dinner for Spring. This meat has a ton of wonderful deep flavor, and builds a lovely crispy crust on the outer edge. If you are not familiar with cooking with lamb, don't be intimidated, its just as easy to prepare as steak, it just needs to rest a bit long at the end. 

Ingredients: 
6 lb boneless leg of lamb
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp fresh lavender
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
lavender salt and pepper

Mix your marinade ingredients and lamb in a large tupperware and let it sit overnight. Remove your lamb from the fridge 1 hour prior to grilling. When ready to grill, remove your lamb from the marinade and sprinkle it liberally with salt and pepper. Grill on medium high heat for about 15 minutes per side. Let rest for at least 20 minutes prior to cutting it, and be sure to slice against the grain of the meat. 

Hope you enjoy this hearty stick to your ribs meal while we all welcome spring back into the mix! Bon appetite!