Explore the calming, delicious whisper of lavender

Though there seems to be no escaping the overused culinary buzzword, “farm to table,” the fact remains that for every table, there’s got to be at least one farm. And it’s not just about peaches, corn or bison: Local farms also grow herbs and spices that can make those peaches, that corn and those buffalo burgers taste even better. Lavender Fields in Milton is one of those farms that incorporates their fragrant crop into restaurant dishes throughout Delaware.

In October 2002, Baltimore transplants and co-owners Marie Mayor and Sharon Harris purchased the facility from the original “Lavender Lady,” Pauline Pettit. She had bought it in 1994 from John and Martha Heikel who, interestingly enough, acquired the land in ‘73 from the Brittingham family, owners of none other than the Lewes Dairy.

Highly popular in Victorian times, lavender’s calming effects are enjoying a resurgence as massage oils, antiseptics, antifungals and even insect repellants. A number of creative chefs use Lavender Fields’ aromatic flowers to kick up their kitchen creations. Modernist toque Hari Cameron of a(MUSE.) in Rehoboth infuses the delicate flavor into sugar cookies and desserts made with lavender cream!

Kevin Reading from Abbott’s Grill in Milford and Laurel and Brick Works in Smyrna will often give his signature lamb stew a floral hint with Lavender Fields’ proprietary blend of Herbs de Provence, while local chefs Gary and Lorraine Papp integrate lavender into dinners they serve not only at their delightful Palate restaurant in Rehoboth, but at their catered events as well.

Marie and Sharon blend the tiny buds with sugar to enhance lemon meringue pie, lemonade, vinaigrettes, marinades, pasta sauces and even the caramelized crust of crème brûlée. Strawberry margarita lavender preserves (complete with triple sec and tequila) are intoxicatingly delicious on warm toast.

It’s a fortunate turkey and cheese sandwich that gets to be slathered with chardonnay-infused lavender wine jelly, and French sea salt with lavender can be sprinkled onto bread dough brushed with olive oil just before baking. Hot water is steeped with green or white tea leaves stirred with lavender buds and rose petals. And if a local restaurant is serving lavender lemonade, get it! Lavender and lemons are an amazing combination.

Marie tells me that the elegant flavor of the plant is actually experienced as an aftertaste. The floral accent sits quietly in the background, and you detect it when you exhale. The magic lies in the fact that a very small amount achieves the intended effect. Use too much, and it just tastes bad.

Mint, thyme and sage share the same botanical family with lavender. No wonder it works in so many savory dishes! This is the perfect time to take the short drive to Lavender Fields, Inhale the aroma and even visit the busy bees that make the farm’s lavender honey.

So jump on the bandwagon and try that delicate and aromatic charm. You can get all you want from Lavender Fields farm just up the road in Milton. Find out more at www.lavenderfieldsde.com.