LAVENDER + HONEY

It's lavender time in Texas folks! The Blanco Lavender Festival starts tomorrow, and for once, I even have lavender abloom in my own yard. No, that's not my yard in the photo. I have exactly two clumps left from the original four I planted. I hadn't really planned to harvest or dry any of it - thought I'd just enjoy it in the garden for as long as it lasted, then pray that it comes back to see me again next year - but this morning's blog posting from Homesick Texan changed all that. Now I'm scurrying around, trying to find out how to harvest/dry/store my blooms, so I can make me some of that Honey Lavender Ice Cream! I used to be absolutely mad for the lavender creme brule that they served at La Madeleine restaurants, and I suspect this recipe will be just as tantalizing. Why, oh why, did La Mad have to switch to plain ol' vanilla?

Speaking of honey and lavender, anybody know of a Texan source for lavender honey? Surely, somewhere here in the Hill Country, someone is keeping bees amongst their lavender fields. Ever since I read and reviewed The Unlikely Lavender Queen, by Jeannie Ralston, where she mentioned this divine combination, I've been dying to try it, but haven't run across any yet. To find a local source would be so awesome. To convince them to sell it through The Bountiful Sprout? Even better!

P.S. Many thanks to texastravel.com for the above image.