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COME SEE US IN OJAI THIS WEEKEND!
This is the busiest weekend of the Summer for us! The Summer season is really getting underway at the Farm, and the Ojai Lavender Festival is a major event. With something like 30,000 attendees and 100 different vendors, its a great day out. And the weather is supposed to be perfect - 80 and sunny! We have been going to the festival since it opened something like 7 years ago.. There are a lot of other lavender farms now - if Glenn remembers correctly, we were only one of two the first year! So if you can make it come and see Glenn and Sam - the festival is from 10AM to 5PM. Meryl will be at the farm and Sean will be manning the downtown Los Olivos location!!! Come see us all!!!
here's a link to the festival's site:
http://www.ojaivalleylavenderfestival.org/
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WHAT COOL WEATHER THIS YEAR!!
And we don't mean "cool" for surfing! Here we are almost at the end of June and the field is just barely beginning to pop! This shot is from 2PM today! Some years its already two weeks into the "Purple Blast" by Summer Solstice. Not this year. We have had lots nice rain, and like last year it was spaced out nicely. We think we will be having another BIG crop this year. But just a little later. See the several pictures below. There is more color every day, and YES we have fresh bunches that we can cut for you. But its a different year for sure - we will take fresh bunches to Ojai, but we have to look some for them. But the other side of this situation is that we expect the field to be really blue a lot longer into the Summer than it has been in the past. And we haven't had to water yet - but we are close. Every year it seems that the irrigation needs more maintenance than the year before - the sun degrades the lines and there is a lot of splicing and repair in March April and May.
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Our most asked question is "When does it bloom?" For the next few weeks the answer is "NOW". but if you want to see whats happening on a daily basis, then take a look at our blog.
http://clairmontfarms.blogspot.com/
We'll post a new picture up every day this bloom season. So book-mark it and watch this years purple bloom spread across the field!
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NO DOGS IN THE STORE?
We have had a sign in the driveway for some time about keeping dogs on leashes. This was because the chickens are "sitting ducks" if someone lets an aggressive dog out. And now we have one in the store. But for a different reason. We allow our dogs to sit under the table because they go outside to pee. So why is this silliness in a newsletter? Its hard to believe the number of times we have to answer the question ---"How come YOUR dogs can be in here and not ours..well - there it is! So please don't feel like we are discriminating against other dogs - its just a lot of work cleaning the carpet - (and even lavender oil has its limits to refresh the air). One funny story - someone ignored the request and Bing the big grey tabby was sleeping in the chair and a small (unleashed) dog went after him. Well - lets just say that Bing won and didn't even get out of the chair!!
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OLIVES IN THE DRIVEWAY!
These old olive trees produce a LOT of olives. While we take a few of them and put them with rock salt for a month or two, for the most part we don't process them. Because we don't spratyinsecticide for the olive fly, we can't get anyone to process them either. the other issue with harvesting them is that the trees are so old, that shaking them would not be good for them. So we let most of the olives just fall - but this year was a REALLY BIG one. So what we have done is to rake them into the driveway, and as everyone runs over them, they are providing oil to the blacktop on the driveway and preserving it naturally. We are wishing that we had done this over the years with the rest of the blacktop as some of it is needing the same treatment.
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SUMMER SPICES TO LIVEN UP YOUR COOKOUTS!!! $3 SPECIAL TAKE YOUR PICK!
Check out the recipies below the spices, and you will really begin to enjoy the Summer bounty of fresh vegetables!
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SUMMER IS THE BEST TIME TO EAT!
This sea salt is a very special seasoning. Try it on an ear of corn or just a tomato.
See recipes below.
$3 SPECIAL
CLICK HERE
to get lavender salt!
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LAVENDER
PEPPER
We've had quite a lot of requests, so we have added it to our lineup. Its a black table grind pepper with culinary lavender ground up in it! Put this on your veggies with butter and see what we mean.
CLICK HERE to get some
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PROVENCE CULINARY LAVENDER
A mellow "sweet lavender" If you grind it to a powder in a coffee bean grinder and use it in your own salt, pepper, tea, or just plain. But be careful A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY.
Be sparing
CLICK HERE
to get some.
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HERBS DE PROVENCE
This is a well known spice mix that is reminiscent of Italian seasoning - but better! Use this on fish, salads or in making spaghetti sauce. Again - alittle goes a long way!
CLICK HERE
to try some
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Here are some food ideas that can't miss:
I. CORN ON THE COB roasted with butter and lavender salt and pepper. You have to taste this to believe it.
2. TOFUGHETTI - For the vegetarians out there - here is a recipe that can't miss. INGREDIENTS - Firm Tofu sliced into small squares, Fresh Basil, Fresh Onions, Fresh Garlic, Fresh Tomatoes, Olives - canned or pickled (Glenn loves Kalimatas), pasta and olive oil. Take the tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil and chop up - then heat until they are Al dente - cooked, but still firm. Then add the olives and tofu and heat until warm. Cook the pasta Al dente as well and add olive oil. Put the lavender salt and pepper in the sauce and also on the pasta before adding the sauce. Glenn has converted some real carnivores with this recipe.
3. JUST TOMATOES olive oil and lavender salt. OMG - they come alive
4. SALMON - when you fry it lightly in butter ad either the "Herbs de" or the Lavender Salt and pepper. If you have ever lived in Cajun country get some Louisiana hot sauce and put it in the pan first and then the lavender pepper, and then the butter and fish. Blackened - with some bread crumbs - Chef Prudhomme would approve! Its really too bad they don't have crawdads out here in California!!!
5. And just go from there - green beans- squash, carrots, butter olive oil and a little lavender whatever - beware you can get hooked on this! And at $3 a try - well - hard to beat. Steam them to preserve the vitamins! Final Note - we get asked about the health benefits of eating lavender - the oil is therapeutic and has lots of uses - but all we say about the spices is that they taste good! |
As always if you want to contact us, call us at the number below. Or email us at info@clairmontfarms.com
Sincerely, Meryl and Glenn
Clairmont Farms Lavender Company
805-688-7505 |
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