2 cups milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 T. pesticide-free fresh or dried lavender flowers, without stems

Pour the milk into a saucepan, place over medium heat and heat until small bubbles appear along the edges of the pan. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until creamy. Pour about 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the egg-milk mixture into the saucepan, place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens and lightly coats the back of the spoon, about 1 minute. Do not allow it to boil. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the custard should register 180°F. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the lavender flowers. Pour the custard into a pitcher, cover with plastic placed directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve. Return the custard to the pitcher, cover with clean plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface, and refrigerate for up to 2 days before serving.