Lavender is serene. It is lovely, light and vibrant. It calms, soothes and comforts. It is the essence of purple. There is beauty in lavender. These are my immediate thoughts that spring to mind when I think of lavender. There are so many varieties to choose from and if I had my choice, I would choose them all. And yet, right now, sitting in my tiny apartment in Oslo I have not one. The scent pairs so beautifully with lemon and raspberries. I love to bake it into crisp buttery cookies with just a hint of lemon or use it to perfume a blueberry lavender creme brulee. It speaks to me, lavender does...or rather whispers telling me to relax and enjoy life...everything will be OK.
Rosemary...energizes. It has a brightness and yet an earthiness that no other herb has. Rosemary has a pulse. It is the best of green. It can reach memories of my first kitchen experience in California and evoke feelings of nostalgia in me that I had long forgotten. It is savory and yet easily lends itself to sweet. I want to taste it with chicken or in a red wine reduction. I am compelled to pair it with oranges and red current. I feel that I can even put it in a dark chocolate truffle and it will hold it's own and yet blend with and add to the chocolate. I will try it. Rosemary enlivens my senses, makes me feel like more than just a pastry chef, reminds me of my husband, comforts me and makes me think of home.
The two together, represent balance in my life. Both vibrant and yet different. I realize that they both posses purple buds and flowers. I think I need a lot of purple in my life to be balanced in the way that is right for me. Their scent, the feel of their leaves, the purple flowers that they both posses, to me is beauty through and through.
I have my occasional struggles with both...Is lavender too perfumery and have I used too much? Is Rosemary too savory and heady for what I am using it for? Is rosemary too green? Is lavender too purple? I think not. I think I can embrace these two herbs and love them unquestioningly. I can love and embrace what they are as I can embrace my self for who I am. Balanced and growing.
