At Saddles, we’re incredibly lucky with the ample gardens that surround our property. We, along with the nursery, grow and maintain a whole variety of plants, tree species along with a range of Australian flora and fauna. As you walk down the pathway towards the homestead, you’ll also notice that we grow our own lavender, famously known for its unique fragrance and a firm favourite of the Saddles kitchen. You may not know, but lavender is a herb that belongs to the mint family with similar properties to rosemary, sage, and thyme.
Along with being a landscaping plant, lavender – particularly the English variety – can actually be used in cooking in a number of ways including as a spice or condiment in pasta dishes, salads, dressings and desserts. The flower buds, leaves and stems can be used fresh or dried, giving dishes and drinks that striking purple colour.
What does it taste like?
From a flavour point of view, it has an aromatic, sweet fragrance with lemon or citrus notes. However, different varieties can take on undertones of smoke and woodiness making it a unique herb to work with. Lavender does feature across the Saddles menu, including our Healthy Luxe cheesecake as well as our famous Lavender Spritz.
Want to create your own purple magic at home?
We thought we’d share with you the recipe for one of our most loved cocktails. It’s really easy to make and tastes as beautiful as it looks. Here’s what you’ll need to mix together:
- 30 ml ink gin
- 10 ml lavender syrup
- 60 ml prosecco
- A dash of soda
- Fresh lavender to garnish
And, if you’re not familiar with making sugar syrups, or in this case, lavender syrup, here are the ingredients required:
- A cup of water
- A cup of sugar
- Tablespoon of dried lavender
It’s important to ensure equal parts of water to sugar. Place all the ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil. Take off the hob and allow ample time to cool.