Elevate Your Kitchen: Master the Art of Culinary Lavender

Culinary Lavender 

Ready to turn your kitchen into an avant-garde flavor studio?

Lavender is a celebrated culinary herb that brings a floral, slightly minty taste to the kitchen. It elevates sweet and savory culinary creations with an amazing flavor profile. Discover how easily you can use this vibrant, aromatic herb to make your next baking session or savory dinner shine. 

Essential Culinary Lavender Tips

• Safety First: Only use organic, pesticide-free, culinary-grade lavender.
• Potency Matters: Dried buds are stronger than fresh.
• Conversion: Reduce dried lavender by half (1/2 tsp fresh = 1/4 tsp dried).
• Less is More: Start with a small pinch to avoid a perfume-like taste. 

Best Flavor Pairings

Lavender pairs exceptionally well with:

• Fruits: Lemon, orange, strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, peach, pear, apricot, nectarine, apple, and persimmon.
• Other Flavors: Chocolate, honey, and creamy textures.

Delicious Ways to Use It

• Sweet: Ice cream, gelato, sorbet, tarts, galettes, and baked goods.
• Savory: Provençal-style soups, stews, cassoulets, and beurre blanc.
• Drinks & Extras: Fruit syrups, elixirs for champagne, and salad dressings. 

Happy Cooking and Baking!

Ellie Lavender
Space Curator & Avant Garde Chef
Lavender Design + Cuisine

Let's connect: Instagram | Facebook

Copyright © 2025 Lavender Design + Cuisine, All rights reserved.

A Chef's Journey: Rooted in Rebellion

 

Mediterranean Cuisine Vegetables & Herbs

My path in the kitchen started with a seven-year-old’s act of rebellion. I announced to my bewildered parents that I was a vegetarian. My mother handed me a life-altering rule: "It’s time for you to learn how to cook so you can create exactly what you want." 

That single moment of defiance led me straight to the soil—and to my very first dish: a classic Ratatouille. It was a vibrant, bold blend of organic seasonal vegetables, capers, and olives. Decades later, I still cook that traditional Provençal stew, using fresh herbes de Provence harvested by hand straight from my own garden. For me, it's a taste that always feels like coming home.

That childhood spark has since evolved into my signature culinary niche: Avant-Garde Mediterranean Gastronomy.

For me, cooking is pure artistic expression. My plates are a soul-infused celebration of organic, seasonal, and locally sourced ingredients. I transform these earth-grown treasures into beautiful, soil-to-table food for my personal chef clients, catering events, and family. 

The pure joy of being in the kitchen and playing with ingredients continue to be my inspiration. 

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Curious about bringing this plant-based soul into your own home? Keep an eye out for my upcoming debut book, Lemon, Love and Lavender, dropping in Late 2026! 🍋💜🌿

Happy Cooking!

Ellie Lavender
Space Curator & Avant Garde Chef
Lavender Design + Cuisine

Let's connect: Instagram | Facebook

Copyright © 2025 Lavender Design + Cuisine, All rights reserved.

Plant-Based Recipe: Romanesco & Romesco

Romanesco Steaks with Romesco Sauce

Romanesco Prepped for Roasting 

Romanesco

Romensco, this stunning gorgeous chartreuse color vegetable is just one of many exquisite work of arts in the vast repertoire of magnificent Mother Nature. It’s a cool weather vegetable and in season beginning in the fall, can be grown through the winter and into early spring.

Romensco Story - Romensco originated in the Lazio region of Italy as early as the 15th century. Rome, from which the plant gets its name, is the capital of Lazio. Many botanists believe it was the result of selective breeding by Italian farmers in the 16th century.

Chartreuse Color Story - Chartreuse, appropriately named for its resemblance to the French herbal liqueur Chartreuse (aka an elixir from the French Alps) made by French monks since 1737 using a secret recipe of a blend of 130 different plants and herbs. The name comes from the Grande Chartreuse monastery, located near Grenoble, France. In addition, this gorgeous color represents enthusiasm, happiness, nature and growth.

Romensco is wonderful raw in salads, but also roasted with herbes de Provence, smoked sweet paprika, sea salt and olive oil with savory Romescosauce, which beautifully complements its nutty flavor and sweetness.  

So, let’s get started with the recipe!

Ingredients:
1. One head of medium size romanesco
2. Two tbsp, olive oil
3. One tsp. herbes de Provence
4. A pinch of sea salt

5. A pinch of smoked sweet paprika  

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F
2. Remove all outer leaves from the romanesco.
3. Cut romanesco into 1 inch slices
4. Generously brush both sides of each slice with olive oil, sprinkle of herbes de Provence and sea salt
5. Place sliced romanesco on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
6. Remove roasted romanesco from oven and place on cooling rack for a few minutes and enjoy with Romesco sauce or any other sauce to your linking!

Happy Roasting!

Ellie Lavender
Space Curator & Avant Garde Chef
Lavender Design + Cuisine

Let's connect: Instagram | Facebook

Copyright © 2023 Lavender Design + Cuisine, All rights reserved.