Blogger interview with Karen from Lavendar & Lovage

What inspired you to start your blog?

I started my blog after my regular day job, which was writing for a leading UK food magazine, ended due to the magazine closing during the recession. Friends suggested I channel my creativity and carry on writing by setting up my own blog.

Where do you get your recipe inspiration from?

My recipe inspiration comes from what is around me, what is growing in my garden and from recipes that I learned to cook with my mum and grandmother. I also gain inspiration from the seasons and locally grown ingredients and produce.

You are based between France & the UK – how has French cuisine shaped the way you cook? 

French cuisine has formed a base for my daily cooking, insofar as I tend to cook simply but with passion, trying to enhance all seasonal vegetables and produce with fresh herbs and sauces.

What are your current favourite spring dishes?

Any recipes with asparagus in them are current favourites, as well as spring lamb with mint; I”m also embracing all the spring herbs and greens that are available now, especially wild garlic.

What are your favourite food & Bordeaux wine pairings? 

A sweet white wine from Sauternes with a cheese platter and a round & structured Bordeaux red from Côtes de Blaye, with an Entrecôte steak.Find a great beef-based pasta dish to pair a glass of round & structured red Bordeaux wine, such as a Pomerol or Côtes de Bordeaux.

Find a bottle priced between £6-20 in our Everyday Bordeaux Selection here and find Karen”s recipe for Beeferoni here.