Potato and Leek Soup with Lavender

I grow lots of lavender and lately I have taken to cooking with it. It's really nice and in my opinion you can use it just about anywhere you normally use thyme. Try this out for an introduction to this lovely herb.

4 slices of bacon
2 large leeks (white part only) - washed and sliced lengthwise then chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
8 cloves of garlic - minced
6 medium potatoes - peeled & diced
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp herbs de Provence
1/2 tsp ground lavender buds (you can use thyme if you don't have lavender)
salt & pepper

*Wash or soak leeks to remove any dirt or sand and set aside. Cook bacon in soup pot until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Crumble and reserve. Add washed chopped leeks to bacon fat and saute gently until they are very soft about 10 minutes. Add garlic, potatoes and stock to leeks and simmer until potatoes are very soft about 25-30 min. Using a blender, puree the soup until smooth and return to pot. Add cream, milk, bacon, herbs de Provence and lavender and reheat until hot but not boiling. Salt & pepper to taste and serve.

~Serves 6