Rita's Recipes are included each week in Ron Wilson's 'In the Garden' email newsletter.

Rita Heikenfeld, CCP:  Macy’s Regional Culinary Professional / Herbalist / Author / Local TV
and Radio Cooking Expert / Adjunct Professor U.C. Clermont College / Community Press Papers
 

CITRUS PANNA COTTA WITH LAVENDER

Now if you don't have lavender, really any sweet herb will do: rose geranium, any of the mints,
lemon verbena, etc. Or just make it plain, without herbs at all. Still fantastic!
 
  1 cup whole milk
2-1/4 teaspoons gelatin
3 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons fresh or a generous tablespoon dry lavender buds or leaves,
     bruised
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
8 ramekins, 1/2 cup size, or whatever you like, sprayed lightly

Pour milk in saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over evenly and let sit 10 minutes to soften. In a bowl, mix whipping cream, lavender and vanilla together.  Put whipping cream mixture, sugar and salt in the pan with the milk and gelatin. Over medium heat and stirring constantly, cook until it is hot but not boiling and sugar and gelatin have dissolved. This will take just a few minutes.  Strain, pushing hard on the solids, and add up to 1/4 lemon juice if desired.

Distribute evenly among ramekins.  Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm - about 4 hours. Garnish with fresh lavender.

Serves 8.

Tips from Rita's garden:  This lovely perennial herb likes a  good soil with excellent drainage. When you plant lavender, place a spadeful of sand in the bottom of the hole. Harvest lavender before noon - actually anywhere from about 9:30 till 12:00 works. Earlier, and lavender may still be wet with dew; later than noon the heat makes the volatile oils escape - witness the haunting fragrance of lavender mid-day during the summer.  To harvest lavender, check the flower head. When the bottom two flowers are open and the rest are still in bud, go ahead and pick. If you wait until all the flowers are open, the fragrance and oils won't be as intense.
More recipes, etc. on Rita's web site: www.abouteating.com

 
 

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