Bobby Blanc moved into his new quarters yesterday. Now he sleeps in the barn sun-room and has access to the corridor paddock. He literally trotted around and around thrilled to bits to be out and about. Kicking up his heels and holding his head high.
Naturally TonTon and Mary’s Cat spent a very busy day laying about in there as well. They quite wore themselves out being companionable. 
No animal is alone on the farmy!
I harvested some lavender flowers though not too many. It is a dangerous business picking lavender with the bushes full of bees. The best time to harvest lavender is early morning when the bees are still sleeping and the buds are high in oil. I should have remembered. 
To make a lavender lemon cake. Take your favourite butter cake or pound cake recipe. When you cream the butter and sugar add a cup of lavender buds. Just buds, no stalks. Make sure to Press the mixture together and let it settle. Herbs need to be squeezed and played with just like babies, so they exude their fragrance. I let the butter sit with the herb for at least half an hour. This way the flavours have tons of time to exchange.
Here is my recipe:
- 1/2 pound of butter
- 1 and 1/2 cups of vanilla infused sugar
- 1 cup honey
- 1 cup of lavender buds,
- the juice of half a lemon and the zest of that lemon.
Press together with your hands, let it sit for a while, then whip together until creamy.
- Add 6 eggs one at a time
- 3 cups of flour alternating with 2/3 cup of cream from your own cow!
Place in cold oven and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.
After it is baked and while it is still piping hot, squeeze the juice from the other lemon on top, sprinkle with sugar and fresh lavender buds.
The lavender jelly failed this time because I tried to exchange half of the sugar for honey. I have not given up yet though, so stay tuned. Even though it did not set, I drizzled a little onto the sauteed ‘fresh from the garden’ zuchinni at the end of it’s cooking time and it was divine.
Last night we also had mashed potato with truffle oil, on the recommendation of Sopsta, my beautiful daughter who is off to Melbourne soon for a look-see. She is thinking of relocating there. She is a professional waitress. She is looking for the best restaurants and the sweetest back packers. I had an old friend who travelled a lot, he was a Catholic priest actually. And he said when you travel, sleep cheap and eat well! This has become a family mantra. With the family addition of the last two nights away are always, always spent in a ridiculously expensive hotel. Has to be done!
If you have any tips about Melbourne for my beautiful daughter we would love to hear from you. The cats have discovered that the barn has milk!
And look at the grapes. 
We really are looking at a bumper crop.
Good morning! My coffee this morning has creamy fresh milk in it. We are now officially drinking Daisy milk. It is pure white and tasty, of course. Yesterday I also began a big pot of yoghurt. This morning I will set it to strain, making it thicker and more like a greek yoghurt. The pigs will have the whey!
I hope you are all going to have a lovely day. My lovely day is about to begin. I have to weed the frog garden after all the chores today. The second sowing of beans are coming up!
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
111 responses to “Lavender Lemon Cake”
Good morning! My lavender died last summer in the drought. This summer it hasn’t stopped raining since April … and I have no lavender. Nor cows, nor sheep. I suspect that I’m living in some weird limbo dimension…
That is why you have the farmy!! c
😀 xx
The cake looks delicious. I’m looking forward to my lavendar growing this year so that I can try this one out.
excellent.. c
The cake looks wonderful. Good morning.
Morning Bill, I hope you have a good writing day.. c
It’s like a bonus when I come here and there’s a recipe included too!
You are such a good cook, i am sure you can improve on it too! c
How wonderful! I’ve made a version of a lavender-lemon cake before but I can only imagine how great it is with freshly picked lavender – the fragrance!
I’ve never lived in Melbourne, but visited there a lot and there are lovely restaurants there (the dining scene is thriving), not to mention lots of lovely people. I am sure your daughter will feel v welcome!
she is looking forward to it! She has an adventurous spirit! c
Great shot of the grapes, Celi. It should go on your wine labels — once you get your vineyard fully operational, of course. I’ve never cooked with lavender blossoms. Your cakes looks fantastic with the flower buds decorating it! Really exciting to hear that there’s enough fresh milk now for your table, as well as for the rest of the farmy. Can curds be far behind & what kind will you be making?
Cubs game tis afternoon. Should be perfect weather for it. Have a great day, Celi.
Have a great game, it is cool enough and sunny enough to be just perfect for watching.. As soon as i gear myself up I will begin the cheesemaking, things are shuffling into place just nicely.. c
What a lovely post Celia – one of those that leave you all warm and fuzzy.
🙂 Mandy
Morning mandy, the teenagers are making your mayo today!! c
Check your mail today… Your cake looks yummy…I will have to find some lavender and try that recipe. Fresh milk and cream…sounds like it is time to make ice cream..
I don’t have an ice cream churn, i desperately want one of those old hand cranked ones.. but ice cream would be glorious! OK I will watch for the mail man!! Thank you connie! c
You’re welcome…we cheat when we make ice cream..ours is electric.
Brownies in my mail box!!! Thank you. I shall put the kettle on and have one this minute!
Hee Hee, I have the antique wooden hand cranked wooden bucket ….. but no cow or cream (sigh). Laura
Oh NO and so far away! There was an old family one but it went to the other side of the family. I wonder if I can borrow it back! c
I am curious about straining your yoghurt to make it thicker…do you use a cloth strainer? How long? Any tips? I have been making my own yoghurt but it is quite thin. The cake looks delicious…will have to try that too!
Good morning, i will pop a pic on the blog for you tomorrow so you can see, but yes I line a colander in a cheese cloth, (often i use old pillow cases) then gather it together and tie it up hanging it from a hook. It will drain for about 4 or 5 hours.. then your yoghurt is ready! c
Celi got me started making yoghurt…my first batch was thin too..after some research I did find that if you add 5-10 tablespoons of instant dry milk (add it when you mix your culture and your scalded milk together) it will thicken it to be more like what we buy at the store.
it is nicer when it is thicker.. c
I was hoping you would post the recipe! I’m going to try it this weekend, my son has some lavender. I’ll have to buy the cream, I guess. I’ve got a cookie recipe that uses lavender too, I should try that as well.
maybe you could show us your lavender cookie recipe that sounds interesting! c
I just looked through my stack and couldn’t find it. But I have one more place to look. If I make them I’ll send a picture and tell you about it!
Just love your header photo of the precious lambies Celi! And soooo happy the grapes are growing like crazy!!! I was afraid with the freeze you would have far less than a bumper crop! xo
Morning Di, i also was convinced that that nasty snap would have killed them off, it killed all the other fruit but the grapes are thriving.. who knew! c
Wonderful!
I will be a bit silent in commenting due to ultra frantic life, but reading your articles brings me a much needed peaceful feeling
Thanks!
OK Sally, Poor you, remember to find little moments of calm while your life is frantic, lovely to see you today though.. c
I’ve got lavender, I’ve got eggs coming out of my ears, and organic milk from the store — good enough to try your wonderful cake! I’m going to pin it as well. It’s just beautiful and looks YUMMY.
Morning Annette and thank you for the pinning. I did not realise how useful that pinterest is .. the cake has two slices left by this morning, so i guess that it is a winner. c
I made the cake this evening for dessert. YUM!!!!
Beautiful cake! I like how you place it in a cold oven. I’ve never tried that – at least intentionally.
The first time was unintentional, but there is no baking powder in this recipe so a slow rising cook works well.. c
I so appreciate your recipes! Thank you so very much! My lavender is just about ready to pop open…
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
then it is the perfect time to harvest some in the morning! mine had gone a wee bit far! c