Team N April's Brunch Tasting

Team N will be serving Yalumba Viognier

http://www.yalumba.com/content.asp?p=213

Paired with the following recipe from allrecipes.com

Lemon Lavender Avocado Bread

Ingredients

• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed avocado
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons dried lavender
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in the avocado and lemon juice with the last egg. Pour in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing until just incorporated. Fold in the lavender and lemon zest; mixing just enough to evenly combine. Pour the batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool

and thanks to Martha:

Martha Stewart Living, May 1995

Honey Lavender Ice Cream

• YieldMakes about 1 quart

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup dried lavender
• 1/3 cup honey
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine milk, lavender, and honey. Bring to a gentle boil, cover, and remove from heat. Let steep for 5 minutes. Strain mixture, reserving milk and discarding lavender.
2. Combine egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until very thick and pale yellow, 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, return milk to a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
3. Add half the milk to egg-yolk mixture, and whisk until blended. Stir mixture into remaining milk, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
4. Remove from heat, and immediately stir in cream. Strain mixture into a medium mixing bowl set in an ice-water bath, and let stand until chilled, stirring from time to time. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Store in an airtight plastic container up to 2 weeks.