Sparkling Mango Limeade
3 Ripe Mangoes, peeled and pitted
1 ½ C. fresh Lime Juice
1 C. superfine Sugar
Selzer or Club Soda, chilled
Garnish, Lime Wedges
Blend mangos, lime juice, 1 C. sugar and 1 ½ C. water in Vitamix until smooth, then force through sieve into pitcher, pressing and discarding any solids. Chill, covered, until cold, about an hour. Add additional sugar to taste if necessary. Fill glass with ice ¾ full with puree. Top each with seltzer and stir well.
Lady of the Lake
2 ounces reposado tequila
1 ounce Rhubarb Cordial*
1 ounce lime juice
Top with soda water
Garnish with pickled fiddleheads**, lemon, chive blossom, violets and angelica leaves.
*RHUBARB CORDIAL
2 pounds rhubarb, rinsed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 C. organic sugar
1 liter organic vodka
**PICKLED FIDDLEHEADS
½ pound ostrich fern fiddleheads
2 T. kosher salt
½ C. apple cider vinegar
½ C. water
½ tsp. mustard seeds
½ tsp. whole allspice
¼ tsp. black peppercorns
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
Tart rhubarb and earthy aged tequila pair nicely with the salty and savory snap of pickled fiddleheads in this spring sipper. Fiddleheads often show up on the produce aisle in spring if you can’t forage them out in the field. Combine tequila, Rhubarb Cordial and lime juice in a bar shaker and add ice. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds, strain into a Collins glass with fresh ice, top with soda water and add garnish. Makes 1 cocktail.
*Rhubarb Cordial
Place rhubarb into a large, clean 64-ounce jar (or split between 2 large jars), add sugar and vodka, stir ingredients, cover with a tight lid and let rest 1 month at room temperature. Shake jar every few days to dissolve the sugar. After 1 month, strain, discard rhubarb and funnel cordial into a clean jar. Use within 1 year. Yield: 1 liter.
**Pickled Fiddleheads
Place fiddlehead ferns in a large bowl with cold water; rinse repeatedly until water runs clear. Drain, trim ends and scrub away any brown bits. Bring 4 C. water and 1 T. salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add fiddleheads, cook 7 minutes, drain and rinse in cold water. Combine vinegar, ½ C. water, 1 T. salt, spices and garlic cloves in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; let rest 1 minute. Pack cooked fiddleheads into a clean glass jar and cover with hot pickling liquid. Wipe rim of jar and apply lid. Refrigerate pickles 2 to 3 days and consume within 1 month.
The Magic Hour
1½ ounces genever (or your favorite gin)
¾ ounce lemon juice
¾ ounce violet cordial* (or substitute Crème de Violette)
2 ounces Champagne, Cava or prosecco
Fresh violets for garnish (or pansies or Johnny Jump Ups)
VIOLET CORDIAL
6 C. loosely packed violet flowers, stems and leaves removed
2 C. boiling water
2 C. organic granulated sugar
2 tsp. fresh-pressed lemon juice
2 C. vodka
Combine genever, lemon and violet cordial in a bar shaker and add ice. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds, strain into a cocktail glass or flute, top with bubbles and garnish.
Makes 1 cocktail.
*Violet Cordial
Harvest violets, rinse petals, place in a sterilized heat-resistant jar and cover with boiling water. Infuse at room temperature for 24 hours. Strain the liquid into a nonreactive pan, discard solids, add 2 C. granulated sugar, heat and stir frequently to dissolve the sugar. Cool to room temperature, add lemon juice and vodka. Let rest 2 weeks and decant into clean sealable bottles. Best if used within 1 year.
Spiked Basil Lemonade
20 large basil leaves, roughly torn
1/2 a lemon, cut into 6 pieces
1 batch simple syrup (see recipe below)
2 C. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 C. good-quality Vodka
Granulated sugar and a lemon wedge, for garnish
Ice
In a pitcher, muddle the basil and lemon pieces. Pour in the simple syrup, lemon juice and vodka. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow the basil flavor to infuse into the lemonade. Strain the lemon pieces and basil leaves from the mixture and refrigerate until well chilled. To serve, set out sugar-rimmed martini glasses (run a lemon wedge around the rim of a glass and dip the rim in sugar). Shake the lemonade with ice in a martini shaker, then strain into the glasses.
Watermelon Mint Punch
8 fresh mint leaves, plus additional sprigs for garnish
1 large cubed seedless watermelon, pureed and strained (about 1 1/2 quarts juice)
1 1/2 C. White Rum
Muddle the mint in the bottom of a large pitcher, using a long wooden spoon or a muddler. Add the watermelon juice and the Rum and stir well. Serve over ice garnished with mint sprigs.
Cucumber Mint Refresher
The base for this homemade drink is modeled after a traditional Iranian sweet and sour syrup called Sekanjabin.
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
2 cups mint leaves
2 cups grated cucumber (from 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 liter club soda
In a saucepan bring the sugar, water, and mint to a gentle boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and stir in the grated cucumber and vinegar. Let steep for one hour. Using a wire-mesh strainer, strain the syrup into a jar. To make the drink, fill a tall glass with ice. Pour 2 T. of syrup over the ice and add 12 ounces club soda. Mix well.
More Traditional Persion Sekanjabin
2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
½ cup white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 cup fresh mint, loosely packed
3 Persian cucumbers, grated
In a small pot over medium-high heat whisk together sugar with 1 cup water until sugar is dissolved. Let syrup boil together for 10 minutes, then add vinegar. Reduce heat to medium and cook until syrup thickens, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in mint. Remove mint when syrup has cooled. For a drink, mix a pitcher with syrup (measuring about 1 ½ cups) with 6 cup s cold water and grated cucumbers. This will yield a sweeter drink. Add more water to dilute to your taste preference. You can use the syrup to dip lettuce, or to drizzle over beautiful citrus fruit. The syrup can be used to make a Vodka and Mint Fizz, or A cranberry Liqueur.
Rhubarb Ginger Fizz
On medium heat, sauté 6 stalks rhubarb cut into 1-inch pieces, 1 small piece of thinly sliced ginger and 1/2 cup simple syrup until soft. Process in food processer to further smooth out the mixture. Add 2 to 3 heaping spoons of compote mixture and 2 sliced strawberries to a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add 1 ounce of vodka and a handful of ice, hard shake and strain into a tall Collins glass. Add 3 slightly bruised mint leaves and top with a dry Champagne and ice. Garnish with a mint sprig and strawberry.
White Peach Sangria
1 bottle Pinot Grigio or other dry white wine (750ml)
2 1/2 C. peach nectar or concentrate
2 C. club soda or other unsweetened carbonated water
1/4 C. brandy
1/4 C. granulated sugar more if needed
1/4 C. water
2-3 peaches sliced
3-4 strawberries sliced
a few mint leaves optional
Refrigerate Pinot Grigio, peach nectar, club soda and fruits the day before. In a large pitcher, combine Pinot Grigio, peach nectar, club soda, and brandy. Stir to mix well. In a small glass combine 1/4 C. sugar and 1/4 C. hot water to make syrup. Add syrup to pitcher. Optional: make more syrup and add more to pitcher if drink is not sweet enough. Stir to mix well Slice fruits and add to pitcher. Optional: garnish with mint leaves. Serve and enjoy!
Pixie Tangerine Mint Spritzers
Pixie tangerines are pale orange colored, moderately juicy, with lower acidity, and always seedless. Individual Pixie tangerines vary in shape, size and peel texture. In general, Pixies are small (1-3 inches in diameter), have a pebbly skin and are easy to peel with segments that separate easily from one another. Typically available in April
3 Ojai Pixie Tangerines
8 fresh mint leaves
1 tsp. agave nectar
3 ounces Vodka or Tequila
Club Soda
Ice
Peel the tangerines and split each tangerine in half. Please the tangerines mint and agave in a cocktail shaker or cocktail glass and use a muddler or the long end of a wooden spoon to muddle the ingredients together. Add the Vodka or Tequila and fill the shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain the cocktails over a fresh glass of ice and top with a float of club soda.
PBJ Smoothie for Two
1 ½ C. frozen berries (single types or a mix. Also can try mango or peach)
1 1/2 c low-fat Milk
1 banana
2 T peanut butter
2 T. Honey
1 Scoop Protein Powder, If desired.
Optional Toppings
granola
fresh strawberries
peanut butter drizzle
Place all ingredients in blender and combine until smooth.