lavender -

by BS

The Endless Road Trip: Salt and Straw

We’re no strangers to crazy ice cream flavors here at ES, and let’s be real—in this brave new dessert world where salted caramel sundaes and olive oil ice cream have become the norm, a chef putting something insane inside your cone is not really newsworthy. HOWEVER, when I heard there is an ice cream shop in meat-mad Portland serving bone marrow ice cream, clearly I was there in a New York minute.

The bad news: Salt and Straw did not have the bone marrow flavor in stock on the day I visited, but really for the very best reason possible: they were waiting for cherry season to start, so that they could make a bone marrow-black cherry ice cream. Obvi.

The good news: I had enough friends with me to order up a smorgasbord of outrageous flavors: honey balsamic strawberry with cracked pepper, sea salt with caramel ribbons, coffee-bourbon, blue cheese and pear (!), honey-lavender, blood orange, and blueberry with key lime marmalade. All head-over-heels amazing. the sweet-and-savory balsamic-strawberry-pepper took top honors for me.

The better news:

Lavender Haze

Way back in ES’ early days, I returned home from the Park Slope Food Coop one evening with the random purchase of a bagful of lavender flower, and promptly asked you readers what the eff to do with it. Despite your plethora of suggestions, following a pretty crazy experiment with lavender-pine-nut blueberry cookies, I have to admit this stuff has languished in the back of my spice closet with a bunch of other unidentified and under-utilized jars. No, I haven’t made those lavender pork chops or that lavender ice cream yet.

But it might be time to break out the purple stuff again, because our pals at Good Bite just sent over these three recipes for some cooling summertime drinks, all made with lavender. Pick your poison and pair lavender with sugar, coffee or of course, alcohol.

Iced Lavender Mocha (makes one serving in a 20 oz. glass)

1 cup of milk (preferably 1 or 2 percent)

1 tsp. of dried lavender buds

1 shot of espresso or ¼ cup of strong, cold coffee

about 4 Tbsp. of chocolate syrup (varies upon taste)

ice

whipped cream (optional)