2009 Sequim lavendar festival. Photo: Jenn Davis, http://amateurgourmand.com

Once upon a time (slash this past summer), I went to my very first Sequim Lavender Festival and instantly became obsessed with lavender. And as is the case with anything I obsess over, I began to wonder how I could go about eating it (thank goodness lavender is actually edible…imagine if I’d taken a sudden liking to, say, Elmer’s glue…bleeeh).

Anyway, being the novice cook that I am, I thought to myself, “self, wouldn’t it be nice to have a ‘Lavender 101’ guide to walk me through how exactly to cook with this lovely herb?”

Lo and behold, Discover Cooking with Lavender entered my life and we became instant friends. Written by local author Kathy Gehrt (Twitter: @kgehrt), this cookbook is a great primer for anyone looking to learn to cook with lavender – perfect for amateurs and seasoned foodies alike. In addition to the drool-inducing recipes, the book also offers helpful background info and a list of stores that sell culinary lavender.

Given that this was my first time cooking with lavender, I decided to start small and keep it simple – one appetizer and one cocktail. Verdict: lavender in food = BOMB! Thank you, Kathy!

Grilled Pear Crostini & Honey Lavender Summer Gin

Grilled Pear Crostini

Makes 12 crostini

• 2 red pears, firm
• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ Tbsp lavender buds, chopped or finely ground in a spice grinder
• 4 oz goat cheese (Jenn’s note: I used spreadable feta instead because I.HATE.GOAT.CHEESE! The feta worked beautifully, btw )
• 1 baguette, cut into 12 slices ¼-inch thick

Peel and core pears, then slice them into ¼-inch thick rings. Rub rings with olive oil and 1 Tbsp ground lavender buds. Grill pears over medium heat. Turn once after pears are softened and have grill marks, about 2 minutes. Cook another 2 minutes. Remove from grill and cute each ring in half. Grill baguette slices, turning once until slightly toasted, about 1 minute. Spread bread with goat cheese (No, no, no! Feta!) and top with pear slices. Place crostini on a platter and sprinkle with remaining ½ Tbsp ground lavender.

Honey Lavender Summer Gin

Serves 2

• ¼ cup hot water
• 1 tsp dried lavender buds or 1 Tbsp fresh lavender blossoms
• ¼ cup honey
• 6 Tbsp gin
• 2 Tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• Ice cubes

Steep lavender blossoms in hot water. Set aside for 5 minutes. Whisk honey into water/lavender mixture. Pour mixture through a strainer into a small bowl to remove the lavender blossoms. Add gin and lemon juice. Pour into a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes. Shake well and strain into two chilled martini glasses. Jenn’s optional tidbit: coat the rim of the glass with a lemon zest-sugar combo. Garnish glass with a slice of lemon.

Curious about what other recipes are in the book? You can order a copy here. Oh, and for you Seattle-area folks, you can get your copy signed by Kathy at Fremont Place Books this afternoon (Sun. 4/25, 3pm) or at one of the other upcoming signing events listed on the site.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of Discover Cooking with Lavender in order to write this review. However, the freebie did not sway my opinion in any way.