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You are here: Home Life in Lifestyle Viva Lavandula's lavender fields
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30/08/2009Viva Lavandula's lavender fields

Viva Lavandula's lavender fields Food blogger Paola Duque-Westbeek discovers a tiny bit of Provence in the Netherlands. And it smells good!

The spirit of France

Francophiles living in The Netherlands have a new reason to rejoice--they no longer have to embark on a trip to Provence to alleviate nostalgia for long, lush pastures of lavender. Since the opening of Viva Lavandula in April 2009, the spirit of la douce France has come to the Lowlands in the form of ten hectares of fragrant lavender fields. But it's not only Francophiles who are in luck.  Anyone looking to leave their everyday stress behind them is bound to emerge a happier person after a visit to these peaceful surroundings.  
 
Situated in Markensse, amidst the Flevopolder’s unspoiled countryside, Viva Lavandula is a magnificent place to indulge all of your senses.  A visit during the bloom season which runs from June until the end of September, promises an explosion of colour and perfume. Row upon row of bright purple flowers offer spectacular views while embalming you in the invigorating and relaxing scent of lavender. 

Beauty, knowledge and relaxation

After paying a small entrance fee, you are free to wander through the lavender fields. This is definitely something you'll want to savour, so make sure you plan your visit when time is not an issue. You'll probably be tempted to make frequent stops along the way to take deep breaths or to simply run your hands through the sweet- smelling blooms, hoping to ‘catch’ even more of their relaxing fragrance. Of course, you can also choose to sit in the gazebo strategically placed on an elevated area in the middle of the fields—permitting yourself the pleasure of quietly taking it all in.

Viva Lavandula's unique concept is the brainwave of Elsbeth van Andel and Joop van der Molen. Their idea was to provide visitors with a beautifully serene retreat where, simultaneously, they could also acquire more knowledge about the versatile lavender plant. And indeed, there is a wealth of information to be gained through the various indoor and outdoor displays and in the books available at the reading tables.

Culinary uses

Did you know, for example, that lavender is not only beautiful and soothing to the senses, but that it lends itself superbly to various culinary uses? Lavender pairs exceptionally well with chocolate for example. Just the tiniest amount can add a touch of elegance to any traditional chocolate cake recipe. Why not sprinkle a little bit into your usual sugar cookie recipe or pair it with summer berries in a refreshing compote to serve over ice-cream? If you’re not that adventurous in the kitchen, just make a stop at Viva Lavandula's café to enjoy a cup of lavender tea or spoil yourself with a slice of their amazing lavender cream cake.

Fragrant souvenirs

Before leaving Viva Lavandula, make sure to drop into their well- stocked souvenir shop.  You'll find everything from decorative bunches of dried lavender to lavender lip balm and even lavender liqueur. All paying visitors are entitled to a small discount which can either be used in the shop or in the café.

A perfect idea for the next sunny day

Viva Lavandula is at its prettiest until the end of September, so take advantage of the next sunny day and escape to this tiny bit of Provence- right here in The Netherlands! And to get you in the mood, here is a delicious recipe for thin, crispy chocolate lavender cookies. Bon appétit!

Thin Chocolate Lavender Cookies

Makes about 40 cookies

 

  • 200g self-raising flour
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 225g butter, softened
  • 1 tbsp dried lavender flowers (edible lavender!)
  • 2 tbsps quality cocoa powder
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 180C and line a cookie sheet with baking paper. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. I used my Kitchen Aid for this. Add the egg and continue beating. Beat in the flour, chocolate, salt and lavender, making sure that the lavender is evenly distributed. Take small teaspoonfuls of the dough and form into fat, little discs of about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on prepared cookie sheet about 2 1/2 inches apart and bake for 15-18 minutes. Carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cookies will be soft when they come out of the oven but will crisp while cooling.


Note:  It is extremely important that you use lavender which is suitable for consumption.  Don't purchase your culinary lavender from a garden centre as the plants are usually sprayed with pesticides.

More tips around lavender

  • Insomnia? Keep a small sachet of dried lavender on your night table. To ease a headache, gently rub a few drops of lavender oil on your temples.  For stress, hang your head above a bowl of hot water with a few drops of lavender oil.
  • Keep the lavender in your garden pretty by trimming it twice a year- once around the end of April and then again after the bloom. Don't cut into the woody portion though.  Make sure to leave some green on the plant.
  • If you want to dry your harvested lavender, tie as much as you can hold in one hand with a rubber band.  Hang your lavender bunches upside down for about two weeks in a cool, dry place, preferably a shed.
  • Throw a few lavender stems into your outdoor evening fire- an excellent (and fragrant) way to repel mosquitoes!


Interested in cooking with lavender? Mijn Zoete Leven conducts all sorts of culinary workshops.  In the near future we will officially launch our new company La Douce Vie. Contact us for unforgettable creative/ culinary weekends in France.  Another excellent way to leave everyday stress behind you!

 

Paola Duque-Westbeek has a passion for good food and the Dutch culture of the Golden Age. She has a BA in Dutch Studies from the University of Leiden with an emphasis on Dutch 17th century painting.  Her interest in pure food and eating well has grown into a small and flourishing business. For more information visit Mijn Zoete Leven.



3 reactions to this article

Francesco Sinibaldi posted: 2009-08-31 18:04:03

Inner relief.

The vertex
of a mountain
appears over
a rainbow,
where the light
of my dreams
describes in the
will a perpetual
desire.

Francesco Sinibaldi

cjniya posted: 2009-10-27 05:25:03

Lavender got its name for its fragrance made Jesus Christ’s clothes sweet. For more than thousand years, this little purple plant is used to be condiment that could give our clothes nice smell. And nowadays, the essential oil of lavender after extract and purity is the best choice for the nervous people in the cities. Sometimes have a walk in the lavender field and let these little purple elves stay on your hem could be a great joy.
In this heaviest season, the owner of a large lavender farm in Banstead, UK, held a huge celebration for the heaviest of lavenders. Almost everywhere you could see is purple and everything you could smell is the sweet fragrance of lavenders. Everywhere you touch could leave the unforgettable and dreaming fragrance on your hands. Even the <a href="http://www.ybuw.com/Wristbands/Customwristbands.asp">rubber wristbands</a> they wear could get the fragrance of lavenders. I think this smell would not disappear quickly, so as they have touched hundreds of lavenders, the smell might last several weeks or even months. I hope that smell could last for a year and when I miss that purple paradise, I could smell the wristbands or just wear it.
A boring day could be changed by that sweet wristband which could call the bell of the Lavender Festival in my head. The memory of the huge lavender field which stretches as far as eye can see would be carried on the wristband. With the smell it lets out, the sky would be bluer than ever before, the tree would be nicer and even the birds would be cuter. The wind would blow up your hem, the fragrance of lavenders then surround you. It seems like your clothes would get that sweet smell and then turn into purple. I wish this fragrance would last till next Lavender Festival or I would miss them too much.

gooyue posted: 2010-07-15 07:52:21

一些制造商更喜欢皮革硅胶手镯手环,直接向公众公开的事实,硅http://www.chinasiliconewristbands.com腕带公众廉价的生产和良好的接待。它们是由100 %有机硅,这意味着它们是非常持久和灵活。一个真正的硅胶手镯总是平衡公众和不产生变形。

3 reactions to this article

Francesco Sinibaldi posted: 2009-08-31 18:04:03

Inner relief.

The vertex
of a mountain
appears over
a rainbow,
where the light
of my dreams
describes in the
will a perpetual
desire.

Francesco Sinibaldi

cjniya posted: 2009-10-27 05:25:03

Lavender got its name for its fragrance made Jesus Christ’s clothes sweet. For more than thousand years, this little purple plant is used to be condiment that could give our clothes nice smell. And nowadays, the essential oil of lavender after extract and purity is the best choice for the nervous people in the cities. Sometimes have a walk in the lavender field and let these little purple elves stay on your hem could be a great joy.
In this heaviest season, the owner of a large lavender farm in Banstead, UK, held a huge celebration for the heaviest of lavenders. Almost everywhere you could see is purple and everything you could smell is the sweet fragrance of lavenders. Everywhere you touch could leave the unforgettable and dreaming fragrance on your hands. Even the <a href="http://www.ybuw.com/Wristbands/Customwristbands.asp">rubber wristbands</a> they wear could get the fragrance of lavenders. I think this smell would not disappear quickly, so as they have touched hundreds of lavenders, the smell might last several weeks or even months. I hope that smell could last for a year and when I miss that purple paradise, I could smell the wristbands or just wear it.
A boring day could be changed by that sweet wristband which could call the bell of the Lavender Festival in my head. The memory of the huge lavender field which stretches as far as eye can see would be carried on the wristband. With the smell it lets out, the sky would be bluer than ever before, the tree would be nicer and even the birds would be cuter. The wind would blow up your hem, the fragrance of lavenders then surround you. It seems like your clothes would get that sweet smell and then turn into purple. I wish this fragrance would last till next Lavender Festival or I would miss them too much.

gooyue posted: 2010-07-15 07:52:21

一些制造商更喜欢皮革硅胶手镯手环,直接向公众公开的事实,硅http://www.chinasiliconewristbands.com腕带公众廉价的生产和良好的接待。它们是由100 %有机硅,这意味着它们是非常持久和灵活。一个真正的硅胶手镯总是平衡公众和不产生变形。

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