Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup 

2 cups wild mushrooms such as Chanterelles, Black Trumpet, Hen of the Woods

2 cups baby Portobello or Crimini mushrooms

5 – 6 finely chopped shallots

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 stick unsalted butter

2 russet potatoes

1 quart chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons fresh or 1 tablespoons dry thyme

1/4 cup garlic, chopped into small pieces

salt and pepper

black truffle oil  (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350. Don't wash the mushrooms. Brush dirt or pine needles off wild mushrooms, leave whole. Separate any broken bits of the wild mushrooms and set aside. Clean and remove the stems from the portabello/crimini mushrooms. Add the stems to any wild mushroom bits you have reserved.  Slice the portabello/crimini mushrooms. Slice the onion.  

In a big soup pot, over medium heat, sauté the onions and crimini mushrooms in the unsalted butter. Don't let the mixture brown.

While the sauté is underway, cut the wild mushrooms into medium size pieces. Place the mushrooms in a large bowl and gently toss with the oil, salt, pepper, thyme and chopped garlic. Place all on a baking sheet one layer thick and place in the oven until they are golden brown. This should happen fairly quickly so keep your eye on them so they don't turn dark brown.

In a medium pot place the mushroom stems and any wild mushroom bits. Add the chicken stock. Heat over medium for about 10 minutes - don't let it boil. Peel the potatoes and slice thinly. Add the potatoes and cook together until the potatoes are soft, about 15 - 20 minutes.

When the wild mushrooms in the oven are ready, remove them from the oven. 

Garlic Scapes

Garlic Scapes are the wild and curly shoots that spring from the tops of garlic plants.  They're brilliantly green and grow corkscrewed. 
They've got a mild garlic fragrance and a mellow garlic flavor. It's got a freshness that garlic loses as it develops. The scapes, which look as beautiful in the garden as they do at the market, are meant to be cut  - cutting them strengthens the garlic bulbs that are growing underground - so it's a win-win for the garlic and us. We use the scapes as a garnish – just pour some olive oil on them, grill them until their crisp/limp and then lightly salt them.  Saturday night we made scape pesto which we served on pan seared crab cakes. Last night Gayle and I used the rest of the scape pesto on pasta. 

 Scapes are fleeting, their only available about 10 days each year. Here’s my recipe for Scape Pesto:

GARLIC SCAPE PESTO

Makes about 1 cup

10 garlic scapes, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan Reggiano

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts (for a variation use black walnuts)

6 Basil leaves

About 1/2 cup olive oil

Sea salt

Squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice

Put the scapes, cheese, pine nuts, Basil and half the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (or use a blender or a mortar and pestle).  Whir to chop and blend all the ingredients and then add the remainder of the oil.  If you like the texture, stop; if you'd like it a little thinner, add some more oil.  Season with salt.

If you're not going to use the pesto immediately, press a piece of plastic against the surface to keep it from oxidizing. The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days or packed airtight and frozen for a couple of months.

Cafe Salmon:

When pairing red wine with fish you need a fish with some richness, such as wild salmon, and a young wine with bright acidity to cut through that richness. Here we feature 2006 Youngberg Hill Winemaker's Reserve Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley Oregon). Cooking fish in the wine or using it in the sauce as we do here, is sure way to create a felicitous marriage. The spice notes in the Pinot Noir -- cardamom, clove and light pepper -- are repeated in the sauce. If you are a fan of ginger, you can add a few shavings from a micro-planer to the sauce mix. And the caramelized shallots echo the wine's sweetness. Don't substitute onions, they yield different flavor notes. 

Café Salmon

2 salmon fillets (skin-on)

1 Tbls honey

½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground peppercorns

1 tsp ground cardamom seeds
2 tbsp olive oil

 

2 shallots finely diced

2 cloves garlic finely diced

½ cup Pinot Noir

1 tsp soy sauce

Marinate the salmon fillets, skin side down, in a small dish for several hours with honey and seasonings. Heat a skillet large enough for the fillets over high heat.

Once the skillet gets hot, add about 2 tbsp of olive oil to the skillet and let it heat up. Reduce heat to medium high, then add fillets, skin side down. Cook until skin is well browned and the bottom half of the fillets turn opaque, about 5 minutes. Turn fillets over. At this point (right after flipping over) the skin should be very easy to remove with fork and knife. Salt and pepper after you remove the skin and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add shallots. Turn the salmon over one more time and sear briefly, or until desired doneness is reached. When the fish is done, it should still show traces of bright orange when you peek inside the fillet with the tip of a paring knife. If center is completely opaque and the orange color is dull, the fish is overcooked.

Remove salmon from pan and keep warm. Continue to cook shallots and add the garlic.  Increase heat to high and add lemon zest, wine and soy.  Cook until reduced by 1/3, about 3 minutes. Place sauce in a small bowl and keep warm. Spoon over fish when plated.

Creamed Spinach

 8 Ounces organic local baby spinach (washed and dried)

1 Tbls finely diced garlic

1 small shallot finely diced

1 Tbls olive oil

2 Tbls butter

3 Tbls heavy cream

Use same skillet that was used to sear salmon and heat oil and butter.  Add shallots and cook two minutes on medium high heat add garlic and cook 1 minute.  Add spinach all at once and sautee using a wooden spoon to stir.  When wilted add the cream and stir to mix. Divide spinach on warm plates in a  mound about the size of the salmon filets. Place 1 salmon filet on each mound. Spoon reserved sauce over salmon and wilted spinach.

 Cardamom Scented Fregula

 Serves 4

 1/2 cup Toasted Fregula (or you can use toasted Couscous)

1 cup homemade chicken stock or 1 cup low sodium canned chicken broth

1 shallot finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbs Olive Oil

1 Tbs. bitter orange marmalade

1 tsp fresh ground Cardamom seeds

¼ tsp Tumeric

¼ tsp Spanish Smoked Paprika

Pinch of Smoked Chipotle Powder

½ cup edamame, or fresh peas

Use commercially purchased Fregula (found at good Italian markets) or use ½ cup pearl Couscous.  If using pearl couscous, toast in a heavy skillet at medium heat with ¼ cup olive oil until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Stir frequently.

In a stock pot cook shallots in Olive Oil at medium heat until soft, about 8 minutes, add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add stock to the pot and heat until boiling, add Fregula and lower heat add marmalade, and spices. Stir occasionally. Cook until Al Dente, about 20 minutes. Just before fregula is done add edamame or raw spring peas.  Fluff with a fork.

Smoked Tomatoes

Slice medium tomatoes in ½ large tomatoes into ¼ .  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  Let marinate about 3-4 hours. 

Place tomatoes in smoker on medium heat (about 200 degrees) for 2 hours. 

 

David's Corn Bread

Ingredients
¼ pound butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 fresh eggs
1 cup buttermilk
½ tsp baking soda
1 cup organic cornmeal
1 cup White-Lilly All purpose flower
1 tsp salt

Peheat oven to 375 F.  Grease an 8 inch square baking pan. Melt butter in large skillet.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar.  Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk and baking soda and stir into the pan mixture.  Stir in cornmeal, flour and salt until just barely blended and a few lumps remain.  Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cut into squares and serve warm.

Steamed Mussels with Andouille Sausage

Serves 2-4

Select mussels that are closed and have intact shells. If a mussel is slightly open, tap on the shell to see if it closes firmly, otherwise discard. The slight smokiness and spicy heat of the sausage adds depth to the sauce. Bread and a green salad make this dish a light meal for two.

• 2 pounds Prince Edward Island (PEI) mussels (see Note)
• 2 to 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 to 2/3 pound raw andouille-style sausage (see Note)
• 6 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 cup dry, unoaked, tart white wine like Sauvignon Blanc
• 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• -- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• -- Lemon juice as needed
• 2 green onions, green portion thinly cut on the diagonal

Instructions: Just before cooking, soak mussels in clean, cool water for 20 minutes. Remove mussels from water, discard water and any sand. Debeard mussels by removing and discarding any dark, tough fibers that may be along the edge of the shell. Scrub and rinse mussels in fresh water; move mussels to a bowl and reserve.

In a large, deep pan or wok with tight-fitting lid over medium heat, add the oil; add sausage, brown and break up into small pieces, add garlic cloves toward the end of browning.

Increase heat to medium-high; add the wine to the pot and cook briefly - about 5-10 seconds - before adding the mussels. Cover and steam just until all the mussels open, about 2-4 minutes. Discard the garlic and any unopened mussels. Stir in cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a squeeze of lemon juice if needed for brightness. Garnish with onion and serve immediately.

Note: Larger mussels like New Zealand green-lipped can be used in place of the smaller PEIs, but cooking time might need a slight adjustment. The raw andouille - which you may need to take out of its casing - can be found at many Whole Foods stores. Or substitute half mild Italian and half hot Italian sausage cooked with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon mild, smoked paprika.

Beechwood Inn Gruyère Cheese Gougères

Gougères are a classical preparation often served at wine tastings in France. The puffs are made from a savory pâte á choux, or cream puff dough-flavored here with Gruyère. They are best served hot out of the oven.

1 cup water (or skim milk)
7 tablespoons (3-1/2 ounces) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more to taste
Pinch of sugar
1-1/4 cups (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
4 to 5 large eggs
1-1/4 cups grated Gruyère (5 ounces). Use the best quality cheese you can find
Freshly ground white pepper (I also add a dash of red pepper)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan, combine the water (or skim milk), butter, salt, and sugar and bring to a boil. Add all the flour at once, reduce the heat to medium, and stir with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes, or until the mixture forms a ball and the excess moisture has evaporated (if the ball forms more quickly, continue to cook and stir for a full 2 minutes). Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle and beat for about 30 seconds at medium speed to cool slightly. Add 4 eggs one at a time and continue to mix until completely combined and the batter has a smooth, silky texture.  The batter in the mixing bowl should form a peak with a tip that falls over. If it is too stiff, beat in the white of the remaining egg. Check again and, if necessary, add the yolk. Finally, mix in 3/4 cup of the Gruyère and adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper. Using an oiled spoon drop one tablespoon of dough onto the sheet.  Sprinkle the top of each gougère with about 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining grated cheese and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until they puff and hold their shape. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes. When the gougères are done, they should be a light golden brown color. When you break one open, it should be hollow; the inside should be cooked but still slightly moist. Remove the pans from the oven and serve the gougères while hot. Makes about 4 dozen gougères

Pork Belly with Ginger, Honey and Soy 

1 pork belly piece (about 2 pounds)
1/4-pound young, tender ginger, finely grated
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 bay leaves, preferably fresh, partly torn
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup apricot jam
1 bottle high quality sake
¼ cup tamari soy sauce
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled

Garnish:
Chopped fresh chives

If the pork belly still has the skin on, carefully trim it away. Heat a heavy deep skillet (not non-stick) over medium-high heat. Put the pork belly in the skillet, fat-side down, and sear until browned and the fat begins to render, about 6-7 minutes. Turn the pork and cook on the meaty side about 3-4 minutes until browned. Transfer the pork belly to a plate and set aside. Pour off all but 2 Tablespoons of the fat from the skillet and set the skillet aside (no need to clean it). Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the reserved pork fat in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic and bay leaves and season generously with pepper. Cook, stirring often, until quite aromatic, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the jam, sake and soy sauce and stir to help the jam dissolve. Return the pork belly to the skillet and pour the mixture over. Bring the liquid just to a low boil over medium-high heat, then transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake the pork belly, basting it occasionally with the pan liquid, until it is very tender, about 3 hours, turning the belly over after each hour. The liquid should not boil; decrease the oven temperature to 225 degrees if necessary. When the pork belly is tender, take the skillet from the oven and transfer the pork belly to a cutting board; cover with foil to keep warm.
Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl, measure out 1 cup, and put in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat (save the remaining cooking liquid for another use, if you like). Decrease heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced by a third, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste the liquid as it reduces, because less reduction time may be needed, given the robust flavors of the ingredients. (Overreducing can create too-strong flavors.) Add the butter and whisk so it melts creamily into the sauce; keep warm over very low heat. Serves 6.

Serving suggestion: Cut the pork belly on the diagonal into slices about 1/4-inch thick and serve it over a cannellini bean salad.

Gnudi with Sage Butter 

1 pound fresh ricotta cheese*
1 large egg
1/3 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano (about 1 ounce) plus additional for garnish
1/2 teaspoon salt
Large pinch of ground white pepper
3/4 cup all purpose flour plus additional for coating

Sauce and garnishes:
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 thin pancetta slices
12 whole fresh sage leaves
2 pounds fresh wild mushrooms (such as crimini, oyster, and stemmed shiitake), sliced
2 large shallots, chopped
6 fresh thyme sprigs
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 teaspoon black truffle oil*
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) chilled butter, diced

For gnudi: Line medium bowl with several layers of paper towels. Spoon ricotta cheese into bowl. Let drain at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Beat egg, 1/3 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, salt, and white pepper in large bowl to blend. Mix in ricotta. Sprinkle 3/4 cup flour over and stir gently to blend. Cover and chill dough 1 hour. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.  Line rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Place some flour in bowl. For each gnudi, gently roll 1 heaping teaspoonful of dough into ball. Add to flour; toss to coat lightly, shaping into short log. Place on baking sheet. Do ahead Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover; chill.
For sauce and garnishes: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large pot or extra-large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 pancetta slices. Cook until crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels. Repeat with remaining pancetta. Add whole sage leaves to pot; sauté until crisp, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to paper towels.
Heat remaining 4 tablespoons oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Add all mushrooms, shallots, thyme, and chopped sage. Sauté until mushrooms brown and liquids evaporate, about 12 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl. Add broth to same pot and boil until slightly reduced, scraping up browned bits, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 1 teaspoon truffle oil and mushroom mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Do Ahead Sauce can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
Cook gnudi in large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, rewarm sauce. Add butter; toss until blended. Using strainer, transfer gnudi to pot with sauce. Toss over medium heat until sauce coats gnudi. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer to large shallow bowl. Crumble pancetta over. Top with sage leaves; serve with additional Pecorino.

Beechwood Inn Fresh Thai Basil Rolls 

Rolls: 
1 pkg. round rice paper wrappers
1 package of cellophane noodles soaked in hot water for 20 minutes until tender
1 can cocktail shrimp, drained, or 1 cup fresh (or frozen) small cooked shrimp
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1 bunch fresh Thai Basil (Genovese Basil is not a substitute – Thai Basil is related to mint)
3 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
½ cup fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped
3 spring onions, finely sliced
3 ounces pimento strips
3 cups finely shredded Rabun County Cabbage from Osage Farm
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
¼ cup toasted sesame seed oil
Grated rind from 1 lime

Satay Peanut Dipping Sauce:
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/3 cup water
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. fish sauce (If vegetarian, use vegetarian fish sauce or regular soy sauce)
1/2 tsp. tamarind paste
1 tsp. red chilli sauce (more or less to taste)
squeeze of fresh lime juice (about 1 tsp.)

(Note: the sauce can be served warm or cold. With fresh rolls, I personally prefer a warm sauce to contrast with the cold rolls) 

Toss all roll ingredients together in a bowl, except rice wrappers and Thai Basil. Fill a large bowl with hot water (but not too hot, as you’ll be dipping your fingers in it). Start by submerging one wrapper into the water. It should soften after 30 seconds. Remove and place on a clean surface. Add another wrapper to the hot water as you fill and roll the first one. Place heaping Tbsp of the ingredients on the rice paper, about 1-inch from the bottom, leaving about 1-inch on each side. Spread out the ingredients horizontally (in the shape of the roll). Arrange about 3 Thai Basil leaves on the ingredients. Pull the bottom inch of rice paper over the filling and roll halfway up, wrapping tightly. Fold the sides over the filling and continue to roll up. Place seam side down on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Repeat with remaining rice paper wrappers and filling. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve with warm Satay Peanut Sauce.

This amount of ingredients should make about 16 – 18 rolls. As a serving suggestion we first paint the plate with peanut sauce by squeezing an artistic drizzle on each plate. We then slice each roll in half and lean one of the halves against the other. Place a Coriander branch across the top. A small bowl of sauce is placed on each plate for dipping.

Smoked Heirloom Tomato Sauce with Cheese Filled Ravioli 

5 pounds of sun ripe heirloom tomatoes
¼ cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and pepper
3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
20 - 30 garlic cloves
¼ cup fresh basil sliced into chiffonade
3 fresh sage leaves sliced into chiffonade
grated lemon rind from 2 lemons
1 t sugar
2 Tbsp Salt
32 ounces fresh (or frozen) cheese filled raviolis
1 cup freshly grated Reggiano Parmigiano

Slice tomatoes in half or quarters depending on size (some heirloom tomatoes can be quite large). Place them all sliced side up in a large bowl or sheet pan. Drizzle olive oil vinegar mixture over tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Marinate for four hours.  Transfer tomatoes to racks and cold smoke with hickory for 3 hours. 

Place garlic in a garlic roaster and roast at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Shake garlic in roaster every 15 minutes. 

Puree smoked tomatoes, tomato paste and garlic in food processor until smooth. Pour into a 3 quart pan and cook over medium low heat until thick (depending on the moisture of the tomatoes this may take about 3 hours). Taste for seasoning and add salt to taste and also about a teaspoon of sugar. Add shredded sage to the sauce and stir to blend. Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large boiler and cook ravioli until al dente. Serve three ravioli per appetizer plate. Pour one serving size spoon of sauce over the ravioli, sprinkle with chiffonade of basil, lemon rind and grated reggiano parmigiano. 

[Kitchen Note: To properly make basil chiffonade use only a very sharp knife. You want to slice the basil, not rip or tear it as it bruises easily and turns black]

Beechwood Inn Smoked Heirloom Tomato Tart 

This recipe will make one 9 or 10-inch tart (serves 6) or five 4 1/2-inch tarts

Ingredients:

6 colorful, medium-sized heirloom tomatoes washed and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 t. fine-grain sea salt
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, well chilled + cut into 1/4-inch cubes
4-ounce chunk of good fresh Parmesan, micro plane-grated (you should end up with about 2 cups loosely packed grated cheese).
2 T. ice cold water
1/4 cup basil chiffonade
High Quality Olive Oil
Special equipment: tart pan(s), pie weights, paper towels

Preheat the oven to 350?F.

Prep the tomatoes:
To avoid a soggy crust later on, you need to rid the tomatoes of some of their liquid. Here is what we do at the Beechwood Inn: Place the sliced tomatoes on a rack and sprinkle them with the sea salt. Put it in the Bradley Smoker at 140 degrees for 4 hours – or you can place them in a warming drawer or a warm oven.

Make the tart crust(s):
Place flours, butter, and Parmesan in a food processor and pulse quickly about 25 times. You are looking for a sandy textured blend, punctuated with pea-sized pieces of butter. With a few more pulses, blend in the 2T of ice water. The dough should stick together when your pinch it between two fingers. Pour the dough into the tart pan. Working quickly, press the dough uniformly into the pan by pressing across the bottom and working towards the sides and up to form a rim. Place in the refrigerator and chill for 15 minutes. 

Bake the tart crust:
Pull the tarts out of the refrigerator and poke each a few times with the tines of a fork. Cover the tart with a square of aluminum foil and fill generously with pie weights. Place on a baking sheet and slide the tart onto the middle rack in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, pull the shell out of the oven and very gently peel back and remove the tinfoil containing the pie weights. Place the uncovered tart back in the oven, weight free, and allow to cook for another 10 minutes, or until it is a deep golden brown in color. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a little shredded Parmesan (this will act as another barrier to the tomato liquid). Let cool to room temperature before filling.

Assembling the tart: Just before serving, arrange tomato slices in a concentric pattern inside the tart shell, drizzle with your best quality extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with the basil.  Serve at room temperature.

Beechwood Inn's Breakfast Muffins 

Gayle Darugh has made these muffins since 1976. They are great as mini-muffins with fruit for breakfast, but they're equally good as regular-size muffins. Serve them hot.

3 cups of all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix 2 cups of the flour and brown sugar in medium bowl. Cut in butter until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Remove and reserve 3/4 cup of this mixture for topping. Add remaining 1 cup flour and remaining dry ingredients to mixture in bowl. Add buttermilk and eggs, stirring just until moistened. Spoon batter into well greased muffing cups or paper liners in muffing cups, filling each about half-full. Sprinkle each muffin with 1 1/2 teaspoons of reserved topping. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean-about 20 minutes. Makes 36 mini-muffins or 1 1/2 dozen mini-muffins and 1 dozen regular muffins, or 2 dozen regular muffins.

Note: Muffins can be frozen. Remove from freezer 1 hour before serving. Heat in foil at 275 degrees for 15 minutes.

Lavender and Red Wine Sorbet

Cook Time: 20 min Prep Time: 1 hr
Yield: 10 servings  Inactive Prep Time: 4 hr

Ingredients:
One bottle (25 oz) Red Wine
1/2 cup sugar
4 oz Light Karo Syrup
Squeeze of Lemon
1 Tablespoon Dried Culinary Lavender Blossoms

Instructions:
Pour bottle of wine into a sauce pan add sugar and reduce over moderately high heat to one cup of liquid. Turn off heat and add Karo Syrup, Lemon and lavender blossoms. Let steep about 5 minutes. Sieve out lavender and allow to come to room temperature. Chill mixture in refrigerator at least two hours. Process through ice cream maker according manufacturers instructions (usually about 35 minutes). Transfer to air tight container and freeze at 0 degrees F least 4 hours before serving. Scoop Sorbet into frozen glass serving dishes and garnish with fresh mint or even better with organic violets.

Notes:
When serving our signature gourmet wine dinners we often use this interesting and elegant sorbet as an Intermezzo between the salad and entree. It is always a hit with guests.