Garden Recipes

Beverages           Sauces           Quick & Easy Meals

Cocktails and Other Beverages

Basil Tea

While this is not one of our own personal recipes, it has become one of our favorite uses for basil in beverages. Follow this link for details. All that is needed is basil, water, honey and lemon juice!

Lavender Lemonade

The following recipe was a a tasty, aromatic find from Cookie Rookie. In tweaking to fit our tastes, we add a bit more sugar. The recipe is very easy to follow. You will need dried culinary lavender (English), honey, granulated sugar, lemons and water. Follow this link for their recipe.

Peach Tea and Peach Sangria (Serves 6)

Ingredients

4 cups of cooled steeped or cold brewed tea

5 medium peaches

1 ¼ cups sugar

2 ¼ cups water; Separate 1 cup

1 large bottle of wine (white recommended)

Hard alcohol of choice (rum, vodka, etc)

Directions

Peach Tea:

1. Steep or cold brew the recommended 4 cups of tea and set it aside.
2. Clean and slice or coarsely dice 3 medium peaches.
3. Add 1 ¼ cups of water to a medium saucepan and set at medium heat.
4. Gradually add 1 ¼ cups sugar, and stir to dissolve.
5. Add your peaches and then stir.
6. Bring to a boil at medium high heat.
7. Reduce to a low boil and press and mash softening fruit with the blunt edge of your spoon or spatula (for chunkier fruit)…OR…use a masher to crush and release the juices from the peaches. Repeat occasionally over the next 10 minutes.
8. Reduce to simmer.
9. Cover and remove from heat. Let rest for a half hour.
10. Strain the fruit mixture directly into your brewed tea, using your spoon or spatula to gently press additional juice from your fruit.
11. If planning to make peach sangria (or adult fruit cup, wink-wink), shift reserved fruit to small container, add ¼ to 1/3 cup of your spirit of choice to this container, cover and set aside for later.
12. Stir your tea, and then taste.
13. Add up to one additional cup of water to taste, if you prefer a less sweet tea. 
14. Chill in the refrigerator. 
15. Stir again before serving, and pour over ice in individual glasses.

Peach Sangria:

1. Clean and slice the 2 remaining peaches and set aside.
2. Add the reserved peach mixture (from your peach tea prep) to a new pitcher.
3. Add your fresh peach slices.
4. Add your preferred bottle of wine (white recommended). 
5. Stir, and then chill in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 3-4 hours.
6. You may serve over ice with a splash of sparkling water or club soda if you desire.

*Alternatively, you may clean and slice or dice 3-4 fresh peaches, add them to a pitcher, 1/4 to 1/3 cup of your spirit of choice, a bottle of wine, stir and then chill overnight. This sangria can be sweetened to taste via simple syrup or your sweetener of choice.

Click here for an extended video for peach tea and peach sangria preparation

Peach-Infused Spirits

Rosemary Citrus Spritzer

Rosemary Simple Syrup Ingredients (Makes 3 cups)

1 oz (~12-16 sprigs) of fresh rosemary

3 cups water

3 cups granulated sugar

Other Ingredients

3 large oranges (~9 oz juice)

3 lemons (~5 oz juice)

2 liters sparkling water

Directions

1. Prepare simple syrup first by bringing water, sugar, and rosemary to a light boil on medium heat. Stir occasionally, until dissolved.
2. Remove from heat to steep and slightly cool for one hour.
3. Strain rosemary from liquid, while pressing gently to squeeze oils and liquid from rosemary with blunt/wooden spoon.
4. Meanwhile, squeeze your citrus choices (enough for 14-16 oz of juice) if making spritzer now, or pour into clean bottle or jar and store for up to one month in refrigerator.
5. Mix fruit juice and 24-26 oz (3-3 1/4 cups) of rosemary simple syrup.
6. To prepare a gallon, add all of sparkling water. For single beverages, start with a couple of ounces of juice mixture and add sparkling water to taste.**Add ice as desired.

Strawberry Getaway Breezer (Serves 2)

Ingredients
~1 dozen strawberries hulled and sliced
~1 dozen mint leaves
2 limes
3 oz of your unflavored alcoholic beverage of choice
1 cup club or sparkling water
4 tbsp honey water*

Directions (for a single beverage)

1. Make you honey water and set aside (*equal parts honey and
   water; Microwave water to warm it before adding honey to better
   dissolve)
2. Puree 5-6 strawberries with a bit of water and in a shaker or
   drinking glass, muddle 5-6 mint leaves with juice from half a lime.
3. Add 2 tbsp of honey water and muddle once more.
4. Combine in a drinking glass.
5. Fill the glass halfway with ice and then pour 1.5 oz (one shot glass) of your
   alcoholic beverage over the ice.
6. Top off with ½ cup of club or sparkling water.
7. Sweeten to taste if needed.
8. Garnish with a wedge of remaining lime or mint leaf.
   

Alternatively, if you prefer not to use a blender or want less strawberry seeds and pulp in your drink, in lieu of Step #2, muddle the 5-6 strawberries in a shaker along with the 5-6 mint leaves, juice from half a lime, and 2 tbsp of honey water. Fill a drinking glass halfway with ice. Pour 1.5 oz of your choice of alcohol over the ice. Then strain the strawberry and mint mixture into the drinking glass. Top off with ½ cup of club or sparkling water. Sweeten to taste. Garnish with lime and/or mint.

Strawberry Sweet Iced Tea

This recipe has quickly become a favorite, though not one of our own.

https://divascancook.com/southern-strawberry-sweet-iced-tea-recipe/

Sauces

Jalapeno Smoke Sauce

Tabasco Sauce

Quick and Easy Meals

Easy Margherita Pizza

Ingredients (Makes one medium or two small personal pizzas)

• Ready-made pizza crust (I use Boboli); Whole wheat flat bread or naan can work as well
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic (~2-3 cloves)
• 2 Roma or plum tomatoes; Larger varieties can work as well
• Pizza Sauce (optional)
• 2-3 sprigs of fresh basil
• Shredded mozzarella (8 oz)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add olive oil to a small to medium bowl. Add minced garlic and sea salt. Stir or whisk to dissolve and combine.
2. Slice tomatoes. Add tomatoes and toss with mixture. Marinate for 10-15 minutes.
3. Line pan with foil or parchment paper if desired. Place crust on baking sheet and brush/baste edges and top of crust with olive oil marinade. *Spread evenly with pizza sauce if desired.
4. Place thin layer of sliced marinated tomatoes on crust (shaking off excess marinade) and modest spread of basil leaves. Cover with cheese, spreading evenly. Add another thin layer of marinated tomatoes and basil leaves, followed by a light sprinkling of cheese. Top with light, evenly spread torn basil as desired.
5. Bake for 8 minutes or according to crust packaging directions.