Je rêve des champs mauves... (I Dream of Purple Fields...)

Ever since I've seen pictures of spanning purple fields blooming with lavenders, I knew that, when I visit France one day, I would have see one of those fields myself. There's something very romantic and old-school about being out in the wild surrounded by flowers, whether it's colourful wildflowers, cheery sunflowers or fragrant lavenders with its vibrant purple.

I'm actually a bit envious of a good friend of mine, who will be lucky enough to be spending the whole year in la belle Provence in the fall. He told me the other day that he finally purchased his airline ticket, which sparked my mind to return to thoughts of the south of France. I bought a bag of dried lavender some time ago, but never got the chance to open it until now, and my friend's news reminded me that it was about time to dig up the bag of buds and finally do something about it.



I've never cooked with lavender before; I've only ever used it in potpourri or in my scented bath products. Lavender has a strong aroma, and you can definitely pick up on its flavour in baked goods, so a little goes a long way. Lavender has a rich and earthy scent, and creates a nice contrast to the lightness and tartness of lemon in these gorgeous Lemon Lavender Cakes that I made, a recipe that I adapted from the wonderful food blog Cream Puffs In Venice. So while it may be a few years before I make my way over to France and lose myself amongst the lavender fields of Provence, I can at least take some comfort in relishing in the flavours of Provence for now...