5/8/2010

food used from Farmers' Market at the Garden - strawberries (and our mint - I kept trying to tell J that we didn't get 2 types of mint and I think we finally figured out that the other thing is oregano - we couldn't smell anything but mint and I'm obviously no expert at identifying them by sight), brisket

brisket and coleslaw for dinner

Port Bay Punch  - Despite the fact that I HATE the way these measurements are given - a splash, a dollop, 2 jiggers, fill to top -  this recipe is a keeper. If you go by the fact that a highball holds ~8-12 oz., than it actually takes more than a splash of tonic water to fill the glass. A jigger seems to be 1.5 oz., but what's a dollop? And since I'm on a roll, just tell me how much lime juice...limes of different sizes, etc... give different amounts of juice!! This is possibly why I'm a scientist and not a chef.

Best summer drink ever. Period. Easy to make using Blood Orange Bitters, Vodka and Tonic Water. [What website said, but we might agree with them.]

Splash Stirrings Tonic Water -
1 solid dollop of Stirrings Blood Orange Bitters
2 jiggers Absolut Ruby Red Vodka
Juice from 1/2 lime
Garnish: 2 leaves mint
Pour all but the Tonic Water on ice cubes in a highball, fill to top with tonic, stir and enjoy!!

Strawberry Mint Spritzer - I was looking for something non-alcoholic to make for B's birthday dinner...it's pretty good, but slightly bland and I'm not sure why. I halved this recipe b/c we had slightly less than a pound of berries and I used the extra ones as garnish. I tried to make an alcoholic version for J using 2 shots of gin, He seems to like it, but I thought it was way too strong and maybe not the right alcohol for this mixture. As I was making J's drink, I licked the dripping puree off of the measuring cup and it is goooood; since we are a bit shy of enough puree for a third drink, we're going to drizzle the remainder over plain Greek yogurt for dessert. It'd probably be perfect over vanilla ice cream, but we don't have any in the house.

Serves 6; 1 cup per serving
This sparkling drink is ideal as a refreshing spritzer for a brunch or on a hot summer day.
6 fresh mint leaves
1 pound strawberries (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 medium lime (about 1 teaspoon)
2 tablespoons lime juice (1 to 2 medium limes)
4 cups club soda, sparkling water, or seltzer
6 lime wedges (optional)
6 mint sprigs (optional)

Chop mint leaves into very small pieces.
Stem and halve strawberries. Put in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
Add sugar, lime zest, lime juice, and chopped mint leaves; process until blended.
To serve, pour 1/3 cup strawberry mixture and 2/3 cup club soda into each glass; add ice and stir. Garnish with a lime wedge and mint sprig.