Lavender: relaxing and fragrant
Who is?
Botanical name: Lavandula angustifolia Miller
Family: Lamiaceae
Part used: Flowered tops
Small evergreen perennial shrub that lives in dry and stony soils exposed to the sun. It is found mainly in France and Spain but is also cultivated in Italy as an aromatic and ornamental plant par excellence; in the summer it gives a pleasant purple bloom.
The name lavender derives from the Latin term '' wash '', as its flowers were widely used in the past (especially in Roman times) to cleanse, perfume and relax the body. In fact the essential oil lavender is considered a quintessential relaxant. Even today, lavender-based products are used not only for '' washing '' but also to remove tiredness and heaviness in the legs, relax the muscles, against headaches, stress and tension, restlessness and sleep disorders. The essential oil turns out to be excellent remedy for mosquito bites, even diluted it helps to relieve and soothe the sting area and also relieves the sensation of itching.
Beyond the essential oil, it is also possible to use dried or fresh flowers in the kitchen to make desserts or savory dishes, to perfume rooms, to remove moths from cupboards and in the form of beverage. With the latter you can enjoy a mild sedative effect1, spasmolytic2, stomachico3 and antiseptic4; currently no side effects or contraindications are known.
HOT OR COLD DRINK:
1 teaspoon of dried or fresh organic lavender flowers
250 ml of water
For the hot drink, bring the water to a boil, turn off the stove and pour in the lavender flowers. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes, filter and drink.
For the cold drink, repeat the same procedure, strain and leave to cool at the end. Consume within 2 days.
- You can add dried leaves of Melissa officinalis or flower heads of Matricaria chamomilla to make the taste more pleasant. -
This beautiful plant that colors and perfumes our homes with its flowers can be used to make delicious recipes that will surprise your guests! It is advisable to use organic lavender flowers.
RISOTTO WITH LAVENDER AND ROSEMARY:
Ingredients for 2 people: 175 gr. of carnaroli rice, half a shallot, a knob of butter, 1 sprig of rosemary, 1 tablespoon of dried or fresh lavender flowers, vegetable broth to taste, Parmesan cheese, salt to taste, black pepper to taste
Peel the shallot together with the rosemary then melt the knob of butter in a saucepan and fry the mixture with half a tablespoon of lavender flowers for a couple of minutes. Add the rice and toast it briefly. Add the broth until cooked. Season with salt and when it is almost ready add the other lavender and two tablespoons of grated cheese. Stir and let it rest for two minutes over the heat.
LAVENDER COOKIES:
Ingredients for 10 biscuits: 50 g of butter, 50 g of sugar, 110 g of 00 flour, half an egg, 1 teaspoon of baking powder1 tablespoon of dried lavender flowers
Mix the butter with the sugar until you get a cream, add the egg and mix. Finally add the flour, vanilla, lavender flowers, baking powder and mix quickly until you get a soft dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Resume the dough and form cookies, place them in a preheated convection oven at 180 ° C for about 12-15 minutes or until golden.
You can buy your organic plants on www.geelfloricultura.com
1 calming of the nervous system
2 relieves muscle contraction
3 tonic action for the stomach
4 fights infectious microorganisms
Francesca Varchione Doctor in Herbal Sciences and Technologies
