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Nothing like a big bowl of soup when the weather turns cold. We wanted more of an Italian flair and came up with this fun, Italian Cream of Tortellini Soup. The blend of basil and lavender just bring out so much flavor, the creaminess helps to say comfort in every bite.  Italian Cream of Chicken Tortellini Soup 6 cups chicken broth 3 cups cooked chicken, cubed 4 Tbsp butter 1 onion, chopped 1/4 cup, diced celery 4 cloves garlic 2 cups baby spinach 4 oz mushrooms, sliced (optional) 2 tsp fresh thyme (1 tsp dried) 1 tsp Culinary Lavender dash pepper and salt 1/4 cup basil, freshly chopped 2 Tbsp cornstarch 1 cup cream (or milk) 1 package (20 oz) cheese tortellini top with parmesan and fresh chopped basil In a medium saucepan melt butter on medium heat, add onion, celery, garlic, saute until onions are softened about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, chicken, thyme, lavender, basil, dash pepper and salt and mushrooms. Bring up to a simmer and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Combine cornstarch and cream. Add the cream and cornstarch mix to soup as well as spinach and tortellini. Bring back up to a simmer and simmer for 7 minutes or until tortellini is cooked. Garnish soup with sliced basil and parmesan.  Go out and be inspired with lavender! Of course you can use our photo and recipe, just make sure to tag us please.
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Nothing beats the classic, old-fashioned home made classic beef stew! Its hot, comfort food that will make your belly say yumm!  Beef Stew with Lavender  A quick little saute of onions, garlic and beef chuck meat cut into 1 inch chunks.  Nothing beats these chopped traditional veggies! Beef Stew with LavenderRecipe developed by Nicole Callen with Norwood Farm
1 lb beef chuck, cut into 1 inch pieces 1 onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbl oil 4 medium potatoes, diced 3 celery stalks, diced 4 carrots, diced 1/2 cup mushrooms, diced 3 cups beef or vegetable broth 1/4 cup red wine 2 tsp culinary lavender 1/2 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1/4 cup flour 1/2 cup cream or milk Directions 1. Saute in a medium skillet the onion, garlic and beef stew cubes in 1 Tbl. oil on medium-high heat. Cooking about 5 minutes or until meat in browned. 2. Stir in all chopped vegetables, broth, wine and all herbs. Stir and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. 3. Add to small bowl 1/4 cup flour and 1/2 cup milk, wisk until combined. Add milk mixture to stew and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. The History Behind Aigo Boulido The Aigo Boulido, which is translated means "boiling water", it is a basic soup prepared in France based from garlic and herbs. In many regions of France Aigo Boulido was served for Christmas Eve dinner. The water, in which the herbs had boiled, was poured over slices of stale bread that had been rubbed with fresh garlic and drizzled with olive oil. In other regions they served the soup with a stale bread and a cooked egg on top. In older regions of France it was known as a minimal meal that could be offered to a traveler on the "desert" trails and sparsely populated areas of Provence. The traveler could use the herbs gathered during his walk along with spring water to create their soup. Boiling water eliminated all pathogens, hence the well-known proverb: Aigo boulido sauvo la vido ( "Boiled water saves life"), which helps with the belief in the beneficial antibacterial effects of this soup as well as its economic value it provided. The most commonly encountered plants are thyme, rosemary, savory, oregano and basil and lavender found growing in Provence. Because of the simplicity of the soup they added what herbs or vegetables they could find. In our blend of Herbes de Provence used in our Aigo Boulido Soup were many of the traditional herbs found in France and many times would be assimilated into the soup of a traveler. These include; Savory, Thyme, Basil, Rosemary and our farm fresh culinary lavender. If you are interested in purchasing this fabulous combination of herbs you can find it here. You can see other uses for our Herbes de Provence in our January 2018 post on Roasted Tomato Soup.   Herbes de Provence is made with fresh herbs and culinary lavender to bring you something really great! Herbes de Provence originated from the Mediterranean region and is traditionally used with olive oil to coat chicken, fish, tomatoes or chunks of potato, in addition to pizza sauce, sprinkled over game or kabobs before roasting. It’s also used for seasoning salads, sauces and cheeses, as well as soups and stews. Try rubbing our blend on whole turkey or chicken breast before roasting. Try it also as a dry rub on beef, lamb or veal coated with olive oil, then rub with seasoning blend, salt and pepper, pressing the herb blend into the meat. Sear the meat in a very hot skillet on both sides, then remove and finish roasting in a 300 degree oven until cooked to your preference. For something extra special when your grilling is to add a pinch or two of Herbes de Provence to the coals when they are hot. The aroma will be sure to impress all those around.  |
AuthorI am Nicole Callen, lavender lover, farmer, and owner of Norwood Lavender Farm. My intention for this page is to bring you great lavender related content that you can use. Most of it contains culinary adventures that transpire in my kitchen, as I have a love for the complex floral flavor and depth that lavender brings to cooking. 
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Photo used under Creative Commons from TheGirlsNY
