A Luncheon From The Herbal Pantry

I traveled north again

to Fire Lake Camp

for a class and a luncheon from

The Herbal Pantry

Friend Julie always sets a pretty table

Tablecloths

her Jadite

And creative centerpieces

which always include real flowers

from her garden

There's usually enough guests for two tables

There is nothing like real flowers in milk glass for a centerpiece

Jadite at each place, a menu of the luncheon and a package of 

lavender sugar cookies

for afternoon tea after the guests go home

A big bouquet of herbs

mostly for garnish

In Linderhof's Herbal Pantry you'll find:

Herbal Flour

Lavender Sugar

Lavender Honey

Blueberry Basil Jam

Peach Rosemary Jam

Rosemary Salt

Purple Ruffles Basil Vinegar

Pesto

Tarragon Butter

Chive Butter

Garlic Chive Butter

And with those pantry items we served:

A shredded carrot, chive and dried cranberry salad

with a lavender honey vinaigrette

A salad of lettuce and Farmer's Market tomatoes

with a Purple Ruffle Basil Vinaigrette

Garlic Chive Biscuits

(with peach rosemary jam and tarragon butter and chive butter to slather on)

A plate including the Pasta With Pesto

Pasta tossed with pesto

Dessert was a blueberry basil jam cake

with a basil cinnamon icing

That the guests pronounced superb!

It's always a fun time at Julie's

We discussed the pantry items

and what luncheon foods were made with which items.

And guests had the lavender sugar cookies

for later!

The recipes:

The salads were simple, the ingredients tossed with vinaigrette.   For the tomato lettuce one, it was 2 parts olive oil and 1 part Purple Ruffles basil vinegar; for the carrot salad, it was 2 parts olive oil, 1 part tarragon vinegar and 2 tablespoons of lavender honey, whisked together and poured over the carrots;  for the pasta it was simply boiled pasta and a jar of pesto from the freezer.

The biscuits:

2 cups self rising flour

1/4 c. butter (I used garlic chive butter)

2/3 c. milk

In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, put the flour and add butter and run until the butter is incorporated into the flour and the mixture looks like crumbs.    Add milk and mix until it comes together.    Remove from bowl, knead a time or two (be careful, too much kneading can toughen a biscuit) and pat to desired thickness (I like about 3/4 of an inch) and cut with biscuit cutter.    Put on ungreased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 425 oven until they're golden on top.

The cake:

Blueberry Basil Jam Cake

1 3/4 c. flour

3/4 c. sugar

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. cinnamon

1 cup fresh (or frozen blueberries)

2 large eggs

1/2 c. blueberry basil jam

2/3 c. milk

1 1/2 t. vanilla

5 T. butter melted

Grease and flour a 9 inch round cake pan.   Heat oven to 350.

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; stir to blend.    Clean blueberries and gently stir into the dry ingredients.

In a mixing bowl whisk eggs with the blueberry basil jam, milk, vanilla and melted butter.    Stir in the dry ingredients until well blended.

Spoon into the prepared pan; bake for 30 minutes until a cake tester or pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

NOTE:   You can also bake this cake in a six cup bundt pan.

I also iced the cake with a frosting made of basil infused milk, powdered sugar and butter.    About 3 tablespoons of soft butter, two cups of powdered sugar and 1/4 c. of basil infused milk stirred all together and then 1/2 t. cinnamon added.