Lavender fields in California?

I've always wanted to visit a lavender field, but figured only France offered this experience. But in the May 2011 edition of Martha Stewart Living, writers Hannah Milman and Kate Berry take a road trip through Northern California to do just that. I guess Provence isn't the only place to find a lavender field, and a trip to California is certainly more affordable.

There's no other ways to describe it, seeing the photo of the lavender field just made me happy and I told my husband--WE MUST GO. Life is busy for everyone, so it's easy to see something and say "oh that sounds cool, I wanna do that" and then quickly forget it. Suddenly, I found another purpose of this blog--chronicle things I come across in my every day life that I would like to experience.This way I won't forget about them (and neither will my husband).

This is the itinerary that Hannah and Kate followed. I hope to follow in their footsteps one day:

Day 1: 
Sebastol
Green Valley Growers

Day 2: 
Petaluma
Garden Valley Ranch
McEvoy Ranch

Day 3: 
San Francisco
San Francisco Flower Mart
Flora Grubb Gardens

Day 4 (last day):  
Half Moon Bay
Repetto's Florist

Peach Custard Pie

My first peach custard pie before it went into the oven...

I intended to take a photo of the pie when it was done but my husband devoured it before I had a chance to. This is a delicious pie to make in the summer (or in any season when you can get your hands on some good peaches). I am not a baker but this recipe was very easy to follow. The peaches make the pie very juicy and the custard filling is deliciously sweet and complements the golden brown crispy crust. The custard filling is sweet but the peaches keep it refreshing and light so guests with or without a sweet tooth will very much enjoy this. It also makes a fantastic breakfast!

I found this recipe in the June 2011 edition of the Martha Stewart Living magazine, which features a number of summer worthy pies. Of course, Martha Stewart's recipe calls for a home baked pie crust.  I'm too lazy to do that so I used a frozen pie crust from Whole Foods, worked just fine for me.

Here is the recipe (from http://www.marthastewart.com/354912/peach-custard-pie): 

For the Crust 
1 disk Pate Brisee 

All-purpose flour, for surface

• • 
    
  • For the Filling
  • 4 medium ripe but firm peaches (about 1 1/3 pounds)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • Pinch of salt 
  •  
  • Directions 
  •  
  • Cook's Note: The pie can also be served warm; let cool for 30 to 45 minutes before serving.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make the crust: Roll out pate brisee to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate, and trim crust to a 1-inch overhang using kitchen shears. Fold edges under, and press to seal using the tines of a fork. Prick bottom of pie all over with fork. Freeze for 15 minutes.

2. Line crust with parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides. Fill completely with dried beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; remove beans and parchment. Bake crust until bottom is lightly golden, about 11 minutes more. Let cool.

3. Meanwhile, make the filling: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice-water bath. Cut a small X into the bottom of each peach. Boil for 1 minute; transfer to ice-water bath. Let cool slightly. Peel and pit peaches. Halve 7 of the 8 halves to form wedges.

4. Whisk together eggs, sugar, butter, flour, and salt. Pour filling into pie crust. Place peach half in center, cut side down, and surround with wedges.

5. Bake for 45 minutes. (Tent crust with a foil ring after 15 minutes.) Transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.