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Chocolate Mint

MINT, CHOCOLATE

Mentha piperita 'Chocolate'

Perennial

Ht: 12" - 18"

Light: Full Sun to Part Shade

Soil: Moist Well Drained Soil

Color: Lavender

Symbolism: Refreshment

Perennial

Culinary

Fragrance

Teas

Great added to chocolate milk, cookies, cakes and candies or just to iced tea in summer.

A wonderful mint with a hint of chocolate in taste and smell.

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try this

grilled or baked salmon or haddock

3# fish fillets

4T honey

6T olive oil

1 t crushed lavender

1 nice bottle of white wine{1/4 cup for the recipe, the rest for you}

1T worchestershire sauce

1 t lemon juise

put everything together except fish on med heat stirring constantly til reduce by 1/3

grill fish basting with sauce

serve with a nice fruity rice pilaf{apples golden raisons}

fresh asparagus topped with hollandaise

enjoy

chops

4 thick pork chops

1 t coarse kosher salt

1 t ground pepper or pepper supreme

1/2 t lavender

2 t thyme

1 t rosemary

1 tbs olive oil

combine all and give the chops a good rub with it

cover and let stand at room temp for a few hours grill til 155 degrees

i like this with cinnoman roasted sweet potatos

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coolchef: I'm going to get right on that salmon. I love grilled salmon, but haven't found a basting sauce I like. Maybe this one will be it. I'll let you know.

The pork chops sound good, too. Do you roast the sweet potatoes on the grill with the pork chops?

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I never thought of cooking with lavender, either. When I first read about it in this thread, it sounded to me like munching on a sachet from Granny's undies drawer. But then, lo and behold, last night I was channel surfing and there was a chef cooking with...what else? Lavender.

I looked it up in Merriam-Webster's and learned it's a mint. You really can learn something new every day!

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Just fertilize them once a month or so, MirAcid or some other Rose Food.

Generally roses like sunlight.

If they start to get black spot - that is, their leaves start to get black spots - get some anti-fungal spray.

If they get bugs, get some bug spray or plant some onions next to the roses - bugs hate the taste of onions, but the scent of the roses will not be affected.

When it gets cool and no more roses bloom and the leaves fall off, prune the bushes way back. Your best bet would be to buy a book or magazine or look online for specific instructions for your area and the type of rose bush.

Then in the winter (which in Minnesota starts in September wink2.gif;)--> ) make sure the bushes are covered with a layer of mulch - leaves work well, or grass clippings.

Then put on a rose cover (probably styrofoam).

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I have chocolate mint, pineapple mint, peppermint and spearmint growing in my back yard. I can't get grass to grow and heard these take over, so I'm hoping for a nice smelling mint-covered yard! icon_biggrin.gif:D--> I also enjoy the flavors in my tea.

I never heard of cooking with lavender either, but I'd love to try that salmon recipe. I don't see lavender down here and wonder if it's too hot for it and where I could find some....

Laleo: I use a fresh lime-ginger sauce for my salmon and absolutely love it!

Juice a couple of limes

grate a couple of inches of ginger

add a couple of tablespoons of honey

Mix it together and pour over the salmon.

Baste the salmon and save some of the sauce for after the salmon is cooked, too. Also makes a great salad dressing!

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LOL!

coolchef, I actually did mean inches! icon_biggrin.gif:D--> I buy fresh ginger root and use it a couple of inches at a time.

I've found that nothing tastes as good as the real thing picked fresh, so I use fresh whenever possible.

Let me know how you like it!

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The pork chops were a hit, as were the sweet potatoes, but I have a weakness for sweet potatoes, anyway, no matter how they're cooked.

Salmon is next, although I'm not so sure about that ginger sauce. Did any of you ever go to Third Aid at the Rock or any of those other events? They'd give out some sort of cure-all ginger concoction that you'd have to choke down. If you were congested, it would clear you right up -- but only for about ten minutes or so, then it would be time for the next dose. Anyway, about the only thing it did for me was put me off to ginger.

coolchef: Do you cook as a hobby, or do you have a restaurant somewhere?

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quote:
Originally posted by Belle:

I never heard of cooking with lavender either, but I'd love to try that salmon recipe. I don't see lavender down here and wonder if it's too hot for it and where I could find some....

Belle, I'm guessing you are in the south, so am I. I've tried to grow lavender a number of times and failed, 'cept for this year. In the past I've bought a lavender plant in mid-spring and it would die before it was fully established, I'm guessing because of the heat. This year I bought a plant in February, potted it into a clay pot, left it outdoors and kept it watered. By the time the temp. heated up my plant was established and starting to grow. Then I moved it under a tree so that it gets some sun and stays cooler than if it was in full sun. It seems to be thriving! I'm thinking of cutting some back to fill a sachet icon_smile.gif:)-->

As far as finding a plant, I noticed that they had some for sale at one of the local Whole Food Markets. I bought mine at a nursery. I've also seen the seeds, but I would suggest starting them early here in the south.

Hope this helps.

gc

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gc, I'm in Florida and the heat kills so many plants I'd love to grow. I do have a huge oak tree that is my front yard so it gets almost no direct sun. I may try that in Feb. like you did.

I love lavender and would really enjoy having some in my yard. Thanks for the tip! icon_smile.gif:)--> I'll watch Whole Foods for the plants.

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  • 1 month later...

I found a bread that has lavender in it that I'm going to try. Its called:

Herb and Lavender Rolls

Source: Country Living

Herbes de Provence, a traditional French herb blend that usually includes rosemary, thyme, marjoram, sage, summer savory, and lavender, is the fragrant and flavorful surprise tucked between the layers of these rolls. If you like, make them even more aromatic by adding more lavender.

12 servings (24 rolls)

6 C. bread flour

2 pkg. (1 1/2 T.) active dry yeast

2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 C. buttermilk

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 C. butter

1/4 C. plus 2 T. herbes de Provence

1 tsp. chopped lavender flowers (optional)

Make the dough: In a large bowl or food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine flour, yeast, and salt.

In a small bowl, stir buttermilk and soda together. Use a wooden spoon to stir the liquid into the flour mixture or, with the processor running, gradually add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients. Process until a soft, supple dough forms or, on a lightly floured surface, knead dough by hand until smooth - about 15 minutes.

Form dough into a ball. Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in it, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled - about an hour.

Form the rolls: Lightly spray two 12-cup muffin tins with vegetable-oil cooking spray and set aside. Punch the dough down and place on a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half and pat the dough into two 6 x 6-inch squares, cover with a clean towel, and let rest for 10 minutes.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. In a small bowl, mix the herbes de Provence and the lavender flowers, if using. With a lightly floured rolling pin, shape 1 square of dough into a 12 x 24-inch rectangle. Using a pastry brush, coat the dough with half of the melted butter and sprinkle with 1/2 of the herb mixture. Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel, cut the dough along the 24-inch length into six 12-inch-long, 2-inch-wide strips. Stack the 6 strips, butter side up, and cut each into twelve 2-inch square stacks. Pinch one side each of the 12 dough stacks together and place, pinched end first, into a muffin tin. Repeat, using remaining square of dough. Lightly cover with towel and let rise until doubled in bulk -- about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Bake the rolls: Place rolls on the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden brown - 15 to 20 minutes. Remove immediately from the muffin tin and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.

Nutrition information per serving: protein: 4.7 g; fat: 4.4 g; carbohydrate: 21.7 g; fiber: .84 g; sodium: 258 mg; cholesterol: 11.2 mg; calories: 145

Oh and Belle, I never did say, Your Welcome! icon_smile.gif:)-->

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