Adding Lavender to Your Kitchen - Lavender Lemon Scones

It was 6:30 on Tuesday morning right after dropping off my daughter at school, I was driving back home and ready to enjoy my day off with my husband we both have been working like crazy in the past months, it was a looong wedding season for us. And soon we will be going in our two week vacation/honeymoon. Horray!
So, I knew that when I would be back home he would be still sleeping  and I wanted to surprise him with something yummy for breakfast. It came to my mind a lavender lemon scone recipe that I got a while ago but never actually tried to make it. So I got home with a purpose to make lavender scones went outside cut some fresh lavender flower from the garden, which is doing surprisingly well. I always prefer to use fresh instead of dried lavender I think it tastes a lot more floral when it's dried so I always need to watch out in the quantity and not let it taste like perfume. 
Trying my best in not to make too much noise I pulled out the ingredients to make the scones, did my scone and even decorate them with some lavender flowers before putting in the oven . Well, I like to serve and make pretty things for my family .And, I do believe we first eat with our eyes!
And by the time the scone were just about to come out of the oven I could smell the scent of lavender all over my kitchen.Ethan my husband got up and came downstairs to see what was going on in the kitchen. It must have been the delicious scent of baking with lavender that takes you back to spring..... then I had a second thought... No, I bet was the bacon that I just pull out of the oven and now was cooling down on a rack on the kitchen counter.
I hope you will enjoy this recipe, it's really easy to make it and so delicious you can serve with butter or jam or both!
Lavender Lemon Scones 
Ingredients: 

Makes about 10 scones

1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

5 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon  fresh lavender chopped

1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon of milk

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a bowl mix together flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda,salt, lemon zest and lavender. Add in and mix butter until the texture resembles a coarse
meal. Mix together lemon juice with the milk and honey and add to the scone mixture. Combine until dough just comes together.

On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into a disc shape and just slice the disc into 10 pieces. Place scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with remaining tablespoon of milk and sprinkle the tops lightly with some sugar decorate with lavender flowers. Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly golden on the top.

Enjoy!

Pri =)

get all of the ingredients measured first 

after you add the butter you are looking for a coarse meal texture

Make it pretty!

just out of the oven

Yum!

And that's Ethan's breakfast!

Roast Chicken - Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

Being a chef and to be married to another chef and both working on an upscale catering kitchen. I enjoy to eat,cook and serve a state-of-the-art cuisine and everything that goes with it. But there are also those times when only a big plateful of honestly prepared and simply food will do. And one of the dishes that always bring a smile to my husband's and daughter's face when they ask me what's for dinner,is just a simple perfectly roast chicken with gravy and mash potatoes and veggies.


First find a good chicken, one that has been raised with care. Because chickens are so widely available and inexpensive, we don't often think about where they come from and how they are raised. Unfortunately, today most chickens are cooped up in tiny overcrowded cages and are fed a diet that is heavily added with antibiotics and frequently includes animal by-products. These conditions are unhealthy and stressful for the birds, that produces chickens of compromised integrity and flavor. Organic free-range chickens are raised on organic grain, without antibiotics or hormones, in less confined and more humane conditions, resulting in healthier, tastier birds. Starting with such a bird is what makes a really delicious roast chicken.  Make sure to know the chicken you are buying,look for a farmers market near you. You want to serve the best ingredient you can to you family free of antibiotics and hormones.


Ingredients
1 roasting chicken (mine was about 5 pounds)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small bunch of fresh sage,

2-3sprigs of tarragon, leaves picked 

2-3 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves picked

1/2 lemon

6 cloves of garlic, whole
2 tablespoons olive oil,
1 large yellow onion quatered
1 carrots cut into 2-inch pieces
1 stalk of celery cut in 2 inch pieces

How to make it 

Preheat the oven to 415 degrees F. Remove the chicken giblets.Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of sage, 1/2  lemon,1/4 of the onion and 3 garlic cloves.Lift the skin of the breast and stuffed with a few of tarragon and oregano leaves.Brush the outside of the chicken with the olive oil or use a misto spray and spray all around your chicken.Sprinkle with salt and pepper and herb de Provence all around the chicken. Tie your chicken keeping the legs closed and wings closer to the body with butcher's twine, this will help to the chicken keep its shape and will cook more evenly.Place the rest onions,garlic,carrots, and celery in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for about 1 hour  to 1 1/2 hours depending on the size of the chicken, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.  Remove the chicken to a platter and let it rest for 8 -10 minutes before slicing . Save the vegetable and the juices in the roasting pan to make your gravy.

For the Gravy: 

 Have 3 cups of chicken broth simmering in a sauce pot, Deglaze your roasting pan with a little splash of wine (or the broth,if you don't want to use wine) add all the veggies and juices from the roasting pan into your pot add two slices of potato or white bread let it simmer for 10 minutes , puree everything together with a stick blender and strain it. 

Adjust the  salt and pepper to  your desirable seasoning and it's ready to serve.

Fluffy Mashed Potatoes and buttered broccolis will be perfect side dishes to go with it.

Enjoy

Pri =)

Get all of your ingredients together 

lift the skin and add tarragon and oregano leaves

Use misto spray or a brush to cover your chicken with olive oil all over it 

Tie your chicken for a more even cook

internal temperature needs to reach 165 degrees F

A simple delicious dinner

Herbes de Pri....vence. Learning about herbs(part 2)

After all your work of growing your own herbs enjoying them throughout the warm months of the year,once fall is here some of your herbs might be a little more sensitive too the cooler temperatures and early frosts and basil is one of those herbs.So in the beginning of October(specially if you live in New England) you probably want to harvest all your basil and preserve it by making basil pesto with it, it's a good solution!or transplant your plant inside but keep in mind you will need to place your plant by a sunny window.

And like I mentioned on the previous post this year was the year of the basil in my garden I had only two plants that grew like a beast.

So, I will  share a couple tips of growing this herb and a delicious basil recipe.

Growing Basil Tips:

• Starts with seed or a plant , I grow my from seeds stating indoor before it gets warmer like February or March are good months to start. But you can get a small basil plant from your local nursery or market. If you are growing inside only transplant your plant outside after the danger of frost, it's important to learn your last day of frost in your region for sucess in your garden. 

• Basil is mostly happy in well-drained soil and lots of sunlights, at least 6 hours of sun per day.
• Fertilize the soil at least twice a month after the basil has been transplant outside. I only use organic fish kelp fertilized easy to find in any nursery or garden center
• Water often in hot weather. 
• Prune that basil! Pruning leads to more basil. Start pruning the top leaves at around six inches tall and continue to prune as it gets bushier. Also, pinch off any flowers that you see so they don’t go to seed. That will lead to bland and sparse plants.
• Keep insects away. This year I planted marigolds around  the border of my herb bed and was a very successful barrier to protect my herbs from insects.

Basil Pesto Recipe

ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed, make sure to wash them well before, use a salad spinner to dry

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup pine nuts 

3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. Add the garlic and cheese and pulse a few times more.Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Store your pesto in air tight containers and top it with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent from oxidation on the surface.

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

Enjoy

Pri =)

a thin layer of olive oil will prevent from oxidation in the surface

Herbes de Pri....vence. Learning about herbs (part 1)

Today, I went to pick herbs out of the garden before it starts to getting too cold.
And I have to say that the herb garden was a sucess this year and it was definitely the year of the basil. I think this might be the 3rd time I am making pesto this year!

I came back inside with a basket full of basil, oregano and sage. Oh! The scent of fresh picked herbs is all over my kitchen.Love it!




Before going over what I am doing with that basket full of herbs let's go over some facts about those herbs

Basil is an annual herb of the mint family, native to central and tropical Asia and Africa (some say it originated in India). It is an important ingredient in Thai, Vietnamese and Laotian cuisine. 
In addition to its culinary uses, basil is also used in perfumes, soaps, shampoos and dental preparations. In Mexico it is supposed to keep a lover's eye off others, and is considered a powerful protector in Haiti. During British colonial days in India, magistrates would have Hindu witnesses swear on this holy herb.
Oregano Although oregano is heavily associated with Italian cuisine it is likely that it originated in Greece. The word oregano comes from the Greek, meaning “joy of the mountain.” Ancient Greeks believed that cows that grazed on fields of oregano produced tastier meat.

Oregano's popularity in the US began when soldiers returning from World War II brought back with them a taste for the “pizza herb”, which had probably been eaten in southern Italy for centuries. There, it is most frequently used with roasted, fried or grilled vegetables, meat and fish. Unlike most Italian herbs, oregano combines well with spicy foods, which are popular in southern Italy.And its also use in Turkey to marinate meat like lamb and mutton.

Sage The ancient Greeks and Romans first used sage as meat preservative as well as a memory enhancer. Listed by the Council of Europe as a natural source of food flavouring, it has been used for more than 2,000 years in culinary recipes,it goes really well with poultry or roasted pork.Dried sage, burned as a smudge, is used in Native American rituals as a purifying and cleansing herb believed to promote healing, wisdom, protection, and longevity.

How to air dry herbs

Air drying herbs is probably the most common form of home preserving.Good herbs to air dry are oregano, sage,rosemary,dill, marjoram,thyme You can successfully air dry herbs by following these guidelines:

• Choose a location for drying that is warm, dry and dark with good ventilation such as a garden shed, garage,I picked the pantry it's pretty dark if the shades are closed and it's good that I have a separation between the kitchen and the pantry you don't really want to dry herbs right in you kitchen do all the cooking and smoke can affect the herbs taste
• Tie stems together with string in small bundles and hang up-side down. Here’s a tip: If your drying space is dusty, place the bundles inside a paper bag. Punch some air holes in the bag to allow air circulation inside the bag. Once dry, remove the leaves whole from the stems.

•  Optimum drying temperature is between 80 and 90 degrees. At this rate your herbs will be dry in a few days. Air drying herbs in cooler temperatures may take up to a week or two to dry completely.
•  Store your dried herbs in labeled airtight containers to preserve their flavor.

Next blog I will post what I did you the basil

What herbs do you plant and what are you doing to preserve them?

Enjoy

Pri =)

herbs bundles all tie up!

sage and oregano air dying in my pantry