Cumberland BC: The Cumberlander Articles Section
Regional · 24th July 2009
Island View Lavender
Island View Lavender invited the usual crowd that refused to give up their places to anyone.
They arrived July 14 at 9 a.m. in Union Bay and were greeted with yummy lavender banana nut muffins, coffee and an array of fresh fruit. Once arrived, they moved on to a session of chi gong, which helped to stretch their bodies and centre their beings for the day ahead, especially since most were recovering from their stint at MusicFest.
They then proceeded to the lavender patch, where Kathleen Kinasewich of Island View Lavender described the different varieties of lavender, how they should be bundled and how to harvest the lavender.
She checked back on the techniques being used, then went to the kitchen to prepare a scrumptious meal infused with lavender.
This year’s menu was infused with Hidcote, Provençe and Anne Marie lavenders. It included two legs of lamb marinated overnight in loads of lavender jelly, fresh mint and rosemary.
Also prepared were pork kabobs marinated in orange and lavender with fresh herbs, fresh local green beans with lavender, orange-and-savory butter, Italian bruchetta with homemade pesto, and homegrown salad greens with a secret dressing with lots of garlic.
For beverages, there was lavender lemonade, lavender sangria, lavender sparkling water and lavender iced tea.
Served for dessert was lavender-strawberry-rhubarb flan, topped with ice cream and lavender jelly.
The relaxing powers of lavender were doing their job, as the harvesting team was looking extremely relaxed — and contented. They sat at table after finishing the harvest and compared blisters with great big smiles on their faces.
“The harvesting crew was so intoxicated from the lavender, this year at 7 p.m. one of them said to me, what time is it, 3?” Kinasewich recalled. “Somehow this wonderful woman who works a very high-stress, fast-paced job, had lost four hours of her day.
“That is what I call success. It gives me great pleasure to see the transformation of the group, from being preoccupied with their lives and constantly thinking, to pure, relaxing, lavender bliss.”
Island View Lavender is at 5511 Island Hwy. They carry 22 varieties of lavender, many still blooming. They are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday to Sunday.
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Julia Sepkowski-Cook, Janet Rogers, Sonya Jenssen, Judy Goldschmidt, Linda Shaben and Teresa Wild harvested lavender July 14.
They arrived July 14 at 9 a.m. in Union Bay and were greeted with yummy lavender banana nut muffins, coffee and an array of fresh fruit. Once arrived, they moved on to a session of chi gong, which helped to stretch their bodies and centre their beings for the day ahead, especially since most were recovering from their stint at MusicFest.
They then proceeded to the lavender patch, where Kathleen Kinasewich of Island View Lavender described the different varieties of lavender, how they should be bundled and how to harvest the lavender.
She checked back on the techniques being used, then went to the kitchen to prepare a scrumptious meal infused with lavender.
This year’s menu was infused with Hidcote, Provençe and Anne Marie lavenders. It included two legs of lamb marinated overnight in loads of lavender jelly, fresh mint and rosemary.
Also prepared were pork kabobs marinated in orange and lavender with fresh herbs, fresh local green beans with lavender, orange-and-savory butter, Italian bruchetta with homemade pesto, and homegrown salad greens with a secret dressing with lots of garlic.
For beverages, there was lavender lemonade, lavender sangria, lavender sparkling water and lavender iced tea.
Served for dessert was lavender-strawberry-rhubarb flan, topped with ice cream and lavender jelly.
The relaxing powers of lavender were doing their job, as the harvesting team was looking extremely relaxed — and contented. They sat at table after finishing the harvest and compared blisters with great big smiles on their faces.
“The harvesting crew was so intoxicated from the lavender, this year at 7 p.m. one of them said to me, what time is it, 3?” Kinasewich recalled. “Somehow this wonderful woman who works a very high-stress, fast-paced job, had lost four hours of her day.
“That is what I call success. It gives me great pleasure to see the transformation of the group, from being preoccupied with their lives and constantly thinking, to pure, relaxing, lavender bliss.”
Island View Lavender is at 5511 Island Hwy. They carry 22 varieties of lavender, many still blooming. They are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday to Sunday.
____________________________
Julia Sepkowski-Cook, Janet Rogers, Sonya Jenssen, Judy Goldschmidt, Linda Shaben and Teresa Wild harvested lavender July 14.