Farm Journal  ·  October 18, 2021

Introducing Farmstead 1868

Well, we did it! I took the “pandemic challenge” to re-find and re-invent myself while parenting and educating five small children. In the quiet chaos of a global pandemic the phoenix of a new business was born! To be honest, while the world felt like it was burning, it was an amazing distraction to have something positive for us all to focus on, because zoom got a little tedious. So I am super excited to finally tell you about the next great culinary ingredient adventure in the long history of Cutillo and Cody Families!

First it was hops circa 1868 (hence an homage to the Cody Farmstead in our business name). Then it was Dairy starting in 1870, and continues going strong with the nutritious and delicious after 150 years! When my husband Bill and I tied the knot, three generations of Italian-American cuisine influence joined the family. My grandparents, parents, and brother have continued building a long standing restaurant lineage from post-World War II to present (more to come on that story!). And now, we add Farmstead 1868 and LAVENDER to the portfolio of epicurean ingredients our two families have produced for generations!

My food love affair with lavender began when I first tasted Lavender Panna Cotta during a Farm to Fork cooking experience. Of course I didn’t get the recipe, so stay tuned as I try to recreate it this year, now that I have a lavender patch to raid! Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

I know, I know, you hear lavender and think “soap” or “cream!!” But, friends, let me tell you, it is so much more! Think of lavender as a flavor multiplier. I was an engineer in my previous work life, so I like math analogies. (How I got hooked into this farming thing is another story for another time!) When it comes to lavender, a little goes a long way. There are two families of lavender - one is for food, the other is for crafts, soaps, etc. The branch of this family that is for food has so many varieties, and each have a different flavor and personality, just like our own families.

Think of trying lavender like an opportunity for wine tasting, but with an herb, that isn’t an herb, but is really a flowering shrub. Sound good? The moral of this overly long story is that each variety of culinary lavender is unique and brings out different flavors like a musical chord takes each individual note and creates a beautiful unexpected harmony. The scene from Disney’s Ratatouille comes to mind, as the rat is tasting different flavor combinations (again, refer to the fact that I have five small children and it’s been a heavy movie watching pandemic year and a half…)

That’s where the lavender journey began. So when you are feeling bored, when you are feeling like you need something new, when you are feeling like you need a breakthrough from the mindless grind of your everyday...give lavender a try! And if all you really need is a hot bath and some nice cream for your aching feet, I made you some of that, with lavender, too. Enjoy!