For the Love of Lavender

For the Love of Lavender

There is something about the smell of lavender that slows a person right down. It is soft and a little old-fashioned, the kind of scent that might drift out of grandma's linen closet or a garden on a warm afternoon. I have always thought lavender and pie have a lot in common. Both take their time. Both are gentle. Both have a way of making an ordinary day feel like a small occasion.

That is exactly why I am so excited to tell you about our next Pie Flight.

On Saturday, September 13, we are teaming up with Kim from Lavender Bluff Farms for an hour built entirely around this lovely little flower. We are calling it For the Love of Lavender, and I think it might be one of the prettiest mornings we have ever set on a table.

Here is how it works. Kim will be with us to share the story of her farm and teach us a thing or two about lavender, how it is grown, how it is dried, and how a flower most folks think of as decoration can turn into something you actually want to eat. Then comes the good part. We will pour the coffee and bring out four lavender-infused pies for you to taste side by side.

Lavender Blueberry Buttermilk. A rich, old-fashioned buttermilk custard topped with a lavender compote and fresh blueberries.

Salted Honey Lavender. Honey and lavender baked right into the pie, finished with a cloud of lavender whipped cream.

Blackberry Peach with Lavender. A twist on one of our classics, with just a whisper of lavender tucked in with the fruit.

Lavender Lemon. This one is a bit of a cult favorite. It is our famous Lemon Chess pie crowned with a lavender flower lemon curd.

We make every one of these the way we make everything at the shop, by hand and from scratch, with no shortcuts and no commercial fillings. Lavender is a delicate thing to bake with. A little too much and it tastes like soap. A little too little and you miss the point altogether. Getting it just right takes some patience, and patience is something we have plenty of around here.

There is a ticket for the flight, and each guest will need one. The morning runs from 11:00 to noon on Saturday, September 13, at our shop at N2030 Spring Street here in Stockholm. Tickets are $32.99 and include all four pies and a good cup of coffee.

I would love for you to join us. Bring a friend, bring your mother, bring the neighbor who keeps saying she is going to come out to Stockholm one of these days. Pull up a chair, breathe in a little lavender, and let yourself enjoy a slow, sweet hour. That, to me, is what pie is for.

We'd love to see you,

Alan Nugent