July is peak lavender bloom, and the bees are busy. It’s not just the scent of lavender that is so appealing; the flavor can make its way into your summer cooking. Try infusing cream with fresh lavender flowers and using it to make whipped cream or ice cream. A lavender-infused simple syrup can be used to make cocktails or homemade sodas. As a component of Herbs de Provence, it also works well with savory dishes.
If you’d like to have a steady supply of lavender flowers in your garden, be aware that not all lavender varieties are suitable for culinary use. Here are some types to consider (from our article ‘Capturing the Essence of Lavender in Santa Barbara County’ by Nancy Oster).
Lavandula angustifolia “Munstead”
This is a popular variety for culinary use as well as fragrance, and it is a beautiful addition to an herb or vegetable garden.
Lavandula angustifolia “Sarah”
A good culinary lavender with a compact size, making it ideal for pots and edging.
Lavandula angustifolia “Vera”
This is thought to be the original species and is suitable for both culinary and fragrant use.
Lavandula intermedia “Provence”
Grown for both fragrance and culinary use, this variety is also a little more tolerant of less-than-perfect drainage.
Summer Buzz
San Francisco-based Anchor Brewing, America’s oldest craft brewer, is shutting down after 127 years in business. They cited “economic factors and declining sales” — read the Brewbound article here.
Meanwhile, the price of beer continues to go up. Read ‘Thoughts on the Rising Price of Beer’ by Lew Bryson.
July is Tomato Month
I’m still waiting for my tomatoes to ripen. But I learned (from Green Bean Connection) that it’s a good idea to give tomatoes (as well as peppers, eggplants and potatoes) Epsom Salt/Magnesium foliar treatments.
Meanwhile, I am harvesting zucchini, basil, plums and cucumbers. For fun, I asked Chat GPT to give me a recipe that used all of those ingredients, and it came back with “Zucchini and Plum Salad with Basil Dressing.” At first glance, it sounded interesting. But when I read through it, I realized it simply combined raw zucchini with the rest of the ingredients and called it a salad. Sorry, no. I think I’ll look through the pages of Salade II by Edible Santa Barbara contributor and prolific cookbook author Pascale Beale for inspiration.
Flood Damage
Vermont’s Catastrophic Floods and the Spread of Unnatural Disasters — In parts of the Northeast, two months of rain fell in two days. Our hearts go out to our Sister Edibles and all affected by this disaster (Edible Vermont, Edible Hudson Valley and Edible Westchester).
Want to help farmers recover? The NOFA Farmer Emergency Fund is accepting donations.
@edibleSB is on Threads
Join the conversation or drop us a line on Threads. If you are already on Instagram, it’s easy to create an account and find your followers. Find us at @ediblesb.
Thank you for reading. If you’re not subscribed already, please consider subscribing. Our newsletter comes out once a week on Thursdays. For more inspiration and tidbits, visit our website and follow us on social media.
