Blondies with Pistachio and Cardamom Welcome to my second guest post, today we have the lovely Vanesther from Bangers and Mash taking over Lavender and Lovage, and what a treat is in store for all of you, as she has baked some Blondies with Pistachio and Cardamom to share with all my readers! Vanesther and I…
Thanksgiving
Blackberry Fairy Cake Buns (Muffins)
Blackberry Fairy Cake Buns (Blackberry Muffins) Blackberries or brambles, as we used to call them when I was growing up, are natures way of thanking us at the end of a (hopefully) hot summer; just before the children start back to school, and in a myriad of lanes, back roads, gardens and hedgerows, glossy purple…
The Guild of Food Writers Awards 2015: Rhubarb and Rose Champagne Cocktails
The Guild of Food Writers Awards 2015: Rhubarb and Rose Champagne Cocktails Today is an exciting day for me, I am travelling to London to attend The Guild of Food Writers Awards ceremony, but unlike last year, this year I am one of the finalists in the Food Blog of the Year category. I am in…
Baileys Double Chocolate Mousse with Toasted Hazelnuts and Baileys Cream
Baileys Double Chocolate Mousse with Toasted Hazelnuts and Baileys Cream Enter the dessert of your dreams……..Baileys Double Chocolate Mousse with Toasted Hazelnuts and Baileys Cream, a decadent delight that is made with TWO sorts of Baileys Irish Cream, aka Liquid crack! It’s a classic chocolate mousse, notched up with the addition of Baileys Chocolat Luxe and…
Award Winning Scottish Fish: Smoked Plaice, Leek & Cheese Gratin with Chervil & Lemon
Award Winning Scottish Fish: Smoked Plaice, Leek & Cheese Gratin with Chervil & Lemon Regular readers of Lavender and Lovage will know of my love of fish and seafood, in fact anything fishy (or in a shell) gets my vote. And, many of you may remember that I always buy my fish whenever I can from…
Braised Ruby Baby Gem Lettuce with Spring Onions, Peas, Bacon and Crème Fraîche
Braised Ruby Baby Gem Lettuce with Spring Onions, Peas, Bacon and Crème Fraîche The lettuces sat provocatively amongst all the other spring greens and seasonal vegetables……some with frilly leaves, some with soft, buttery looking leaves and tender hearts. There were curly leaves, pointed leaves and then there were baby oak leaf lettuces, compact and tightly furled……sitting…
St Patrick’s Day Feast: Soda Bread, Ulster Fry & Salt Beef with Champ
St Patrick’s Day Feast: Soda Bread, Ulster Fry & Salt Beef with Champ St Patrick’s Day is just under a week away now, and although I’m not Irish, I welcome the opportunity to cook Irish food for my friends and family. There’s something very honest and wholesome about traditional Irish fare, and so when Ocado contacted…
Whole Roasted Cauliflower in a Spicy Mexican Sauce
Whole Roasted Cauliflower in a Spicy Mexican Sauce I have been fascinated by the “whole roasted cauliflower” thing for a while now – yes, I DO realise that to many people that means “I need to get out more”, but, please hear me out. It’s just such a great idea, a sort of veggie roast…
East Coast USA Revisited: Shaker Lemon Pie Recipe
East Coast USA Revisited: Shaker Lemon Pie Recipe The day was bright and sunny, the sun kissed my neck as I sat at a long refectory style table bench with a glass of cloudy home-made lemonade and a slice of Shoo-Fly Pie; the county fair was in full swing and besides all the livestock, entertainment and…
“Not Your Usual Potted Cheese” (with Chilli Mayonnaise) for Grown-Ups ONLY!
“Not Your Usual Potted Cheese” (with Chilli Mayonnaise) for Grown-Ups ONLY Christmas and New Year is but a fond and distant memory now, but somehow some of our “festive fare” lingers on, lurking in surprising and sometimes inappropriate places (such as half a Christmas pudding that I found still “cooling down” in the oven) and…
New Year Cocktails, Mocktails and Christmas Leftovers! Sugar Plum Fairy Cocktail
New Year Cocktails, Mocktails and Christmas Leftovers Sugar Plum Fairy Cocktail Hello! I have been absent for a few days, as some of you might have noticed, enjoying Christmas and the ensuing festive period, with family and friends. I’m back today to share some of my festive moments, as well as a pretty delectable cocktail, that…
Christmas Party Canapés! Cheese and Celery Pinwheels (Whirls)
Christmas Party Canapés Cheese and Celery Pinwheels (Whirls) I have fallen in love with canapés and small bites this year, and I am convinced that all you need is a table filled with tasty canapés, both savoury and sweet, and then a “sit-down” meal is not required. It all started with my special Thrifty and Organic…
A Small Christmas Dinner: Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast and Sausage Stuffing Loaf
A Small Christmas Dinner: Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast and Sausage Stuffing Loaf Picture the scene, a long table laden with food, the pride of place going to a glossy, bronzed roast turkey surrounded by discarded paper hats, golden roast potatoes, sprouts, honey roast parsnips and ruby-red spiced cabbage; happy, smiling faces of all ages look on at the feast…
It’s Party Time! A Fabulous Collection of Canapés & Party Food Recipes
Thrifty & Organic December: It’s Party Time! A Fabulous Collection of Canapés & Party Food Recipes Core Ingredients for December: Ham or Gammon; Stilton Cheese; Red Cabbage; Salmon; Brussels Sprouts; Oranges Menu Plan and Recipes for DECEMBER: Verrines of Brussels Sprout Velouté (Creamy Brussels Sprouts Soup) Mini Yorkshire Puddings with Spiced Red Cabbage and Ham…
The Great Potato Debate and Sticky Christmas Marmalade Chicken Recipe
The Great Potato Debate and Sticky Christmas Marmalade Chicken Recipe And so the great potato debate started…….I, the cook, and therefore more knowledgeable about yesterday’s luncheon dish, wanted mashed potatoes, he, the mere diner and other resident of the Lavender and Lovage household, was adamant that he wanted baked potatoes; we battled it out for at least ten minutes,…