FOOD/CON’T production, festivals and the public’s growing interest in agritourism. Most lavender festivals in the United States are held in June or July, at the peak of a region’s lavender-flowering season. But locally, the opportunity to taste dishes laced with lavender might linger. Dustan Bristol, chef and owner of Brick 29 restaurant in Nampa—caterers of the lavender-inspired lunch at the Lakeside Festival— picked up 2 pounds of the Clark family’s lavender and plans to use it when the mood strikes. “We like to use lavender in creme brulee, panna cotta, and we love it with lamb,” Bristol said. “Because of the festival, we currently have a special salad on the menu for lunch right now where we’re doing lavender poached chicken with a roasted cherry vinaigrette, hearts of palm and candied almonds.” Nick Duncan, head chef at La Belle Vie in Nampa, taught a cooking class at the festival and was also inspired to add some lavender to his restaurant’s menu. For the class, he created something special. “We did a lemon and lavender sorbet, and then a panko and lavenderencrusted chicken breast,” Duncan said. “The chicken breast turned out so good that we actually started doing that at our restaurant.” For chef Franck Bacquet, culinary lavender is nothing new. He cooked with lavender when he was a young chef in France and stocks several varieties in the kitchen of his Boise restaurant Le Coq Rouge. “Normally, you use lavender with something mild,” he said in his rather formidable French accent. “It won’t go very well with beef, but goes very well with chicken, pheasant, partridge and seafood. Seafood is the best, I think.”
FOOD/BEER GUZZLER
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28 | JULY 27 – AUGUST 2, 2011 | BOISEweekly
SUMMER REFRESHMENT IN A CAN The summer heat has finally hit. If you don’t already know that I’m a big fan of beer in cans, you haven’t been paying attention. They are eminently recyclable, chill more quickly than bottles and work in those remote locations where glass is discouraged or forbidden. The three new canned brews that follow are built for summer. Two come from Jackson Hole’s Snake River Brewing; the other is a unique brew from San Francisco’s 21st Amendment. SNAKE RIVER BREWING PAKO’S IPA This beer pours a hazy amber, topped by a thin but very persistent egg-shell froth. Rich, resiny hops dominate the aroma profile that’s laced with touches of tropical fruit. The palate echoes the nose—it’s filled with floral hop flavors, that while omnipresent, aren’t overblown or overly bitter. Smooth malt colors the mid-palate, along with creamy orange, grapefruit and a bit of pineapple. My new, go-to IPA—absolutely delicious. SNAKE RIVER BREWING PALE ALE This brew is a light golden color in the glass with a substantial, creamy head that collapses slowly, leaving a bubbly lacing that sticks. Sweetgrass combines with citruslaced hops on the nose. It’s light and lithe in the mouth, where the flavors are nicely balanced by softly toasted malt playing against a fairly aggressive, resiny hop backbone. This pale ale would go great with spicy Asian cuisine. 21ST AMENDMENT BREWERY HELL OR HIGH WATERMELON WHEAT BEER I did not expect to like this beer—I mean, watermelon wheat? My guess was the only thing it had going for it was alliteration. I stand corrected. This is a remarkably satisfying, definitely different, “bet you can’t drink just one” thirst quencher. It’s a cloudy, straw-colored pour with smooth wheat and just the lightest touch of hops with a tangy kiss of watermelon that works for me. It drinks great straight from the can. —David Kirkpatrick WWW. B O I S E WE E KLY. C O M