Cocktail Friday: Meyer Lemonade with Roasted Strawberries & Vodka

There are a few smells from my childhood that immediately transport me to the days when I would run around the backyard in my bare feet. I vividly remember the way it felt to run in the velvety soft green grass, stopping every so often to watch a grasshopper bounce effortlessly between slender blades on its way to the neighboring lawn. By the end of the day, my feet would be black with dirt. I remember getting into the shower and watching my muddy footprints disintegrate and drift down the drain with the warm water. With my face pink and freckled from the sun and my hair still wet, I would bound down the stairs the way children do and into the kitchen where the smells of whatever my mom had been making that day still hung in the humid summer air.

These memories came flooding back to me this week while I roasted strawberries and watched Riley sit next to our black lab in the back yard. He sat there caressing the grass with his wonderful, chubby toddler fingers while Decorah chewed on her bone. It was one of those strange moments when my childhood collided with his for a brief moment. The roasted strawberries smelled just like my mom's strawberry jam. That concentrated sweet smell is one of my very favorite things.

Today's cocktail Friday is dedicated to childhood memories like lemonade stands with little paper cups and a hand-written sign saying '25 cents', or gazing at the sky for who knows how long because it's the most important item on your 'to-do' list.

This Meyer lemon cocktail with vodka and roasted strawberries is the best way to use the last of the season's Meyer lemons and the first strawberries of the year. It is sweet, slightly tart, and sure to remind you of all the things to savor during these tender spring days.

*Full disclosure: I was given products from Heritage Distilling to use for Set the Table cocktail recipes. My opinions are 100% my own.

Meyer Lemonade with Roasted Strawberries & Vodka

Ingredients

For the strawberries:

• 1 lb strawberries, hulled and cut in half lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

For the Meyer Lemonade:

• 1 cup Meyer lemon juice
• 1 cup honey-thyme syrup (recipe [here|http://rachaelwhite.me/bourbon-thyme-cocktail-recipe/)
• 4 cups water

For the cocktail:

• 2 oz vodka
• 12 roasted strawberry halves
• 2 mint leaves, plus additional for garnish
• Meyer lemonade

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the strawberry halves, cut side down, on the paper.
3. Roast for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle the strawberries with the balsamic. Roast for another 10-15 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
6. Combine the lemon juice, syrup and water in a large jar or pitcher. Stir to combine.
7. In the bottom of 4 tall glasses, muddle 3 strawberry halves with the vodka and mint leaves.
8. Fill each glass with ice and top with Meyer lemonade.
9. Garnish with mint leaves and an additional strawberry half if desired.

10 Easy Easter Recipes

Easter is tomorrow! Yippee! I love Easter. It's always such a happy, joyful morning for religious reasons of course but also because it feels like the official 'Welcome Spring' day. When I was a kid, my mom dressed my sister and me in frilly pastel dresses, white lacy gloves and girly hats. Her Southern soul just needed her girls to be dressed to the nines on such an important holiday and, truthfully, I loved it.

I may not wear those things these days (I might get some strange looks if I did) but I do try to make some special dishes to help celebrate Easter with my family. Are you having trouble completing your Easter menu? Not to worry! I've collected 10 of my favorite easy Easter recipes from Set the Table and around the web to help you out!

1. Bourbon Thyme (with Meyer Lemonade) from Set the Table

It's Bourbon Thyme! | Set the Table

2. Japanese Bloody Mary from Set the Table

Japanese Bloody Mary | Set the Table

3. Herb Lemonade Station from HonestlyYUM

(PHOTO CREDIT: HonestlyYUM)

spring.inspiration.4.12

4. Roasted Carrot Soup with Greek Yogurt from Set the Table

Silky Carrot Soup with Tillamook Farmstyle Greek Yogurt | Set the Table

5. Miso Deviled Eggs from Set the Table

Miso Deviled Eggs | Set the Table

6. Lamb Bolognese from HonestlyYUM

(PHOTO CREDIT: HonestlyYUM)

Bucatini-lamb-bolognese

7. Ham & Sausage Hashbrown Egg Bake from Pinch of Yum

(PHOTO CREDIT: Lindsay from Pinch of Yum)

smithfield-ham-31

8. Magic Custard Cake from White on Rice Couple

(PHOTO CREDIT: Todd & Diane from White on Rice Couple)

magic-cake-new-500-1

9. No Rise Cinnamon Rolls from Set the Table

No Rise Cinnamon Rolls

10. Lavender Latte from Turntable Kitchen

(PHOTO CREDIT: Turntable Kitchen)

I think serving coffee or tea at the end of a nice meal is a requirement. It provides time for everyone to relax and linger at the table just a little longer, talking about life and how full your tummy is and what you enjoyed the most about the meal. There is nothing like those last, sweet moments around the table reflecting on the time spent with those you love. This lavender latte is the perfect way to close a fabulous meal.

lavender_latte_top

Cocktail Friday: Bourbon Thyme

This bourbon thyme cocktail recipe is my new favorite. I have not always been a bourbon person. To be honest, I think my love for bourbon came after I became a parent. Coincidence? You decide. Seriously though, I have probably come to appreciate  bourbon more in the past year through experimenting with various recipes (Brown Butter Old Fashioned or Bourbon Apple Cider anyone?) that have proven that bourbon is more versatile than I expected. Given my new love, I was thrilled to receive a bottle of Elk Rider Bourbon from Heritage Distilling in Gig Harbor, Washington. Any day that involved a bourbon delivery to your front door is a good day. Am I right?

When I try new spirits, I like to first sample them on their own or mixed into simple, familiar cocktails. For example, when testing a new gin, I like to make a classic gin and tonic. I think that cocktail can tell a lot about the quality of the gin because it is vulnerable. In the correct amounts, tonic water and lime juice cannot cover up the herb notes in gin. If they do, something is wrong with either the gin or the proportions. But I digress. Back to bourbon...

I tasted Elk Rider Bourbon straight without ice to start. I was struck immediately by the smooth, sweet taste because I am often a little shocked at my first sip of any spirit straight up. Next, I added a tiny splash of water which can help the flavors bloom a bit. It was lovely. Drinkable with just the right amount of alcoholy bite and sweet nuttiness.

Once I had a good feel for the flavor of the bourbon, I started brainstorming what I could mix with it to make a refreshing spring cocktail. As with many of the recipes I develop, I found my inspiration by simply walking around the grocery store. After grabbing two bags of Meyer lemons and some beautiful fresh thyme, I knew exactly what I wanted: a bourbon spiked Meyer lemonade. Yes and yes.

Feeling inspired by the pleasant flavor of the bourbon and the Elk Rider story (which I've included below because I think it's great) I came home to mix up this delicious, spring-weekend-worthy cocktail. It's perfect for bourbon lovers who are looking for a way to extend the season for this spirit into warmer months. If you're not a bourbon fan, this will work beautifully with vodka or gin as well.

Here's a little bit about the inspiration behind the Elk Rider series from Heritage Distilling:

"The idea and inspiration for the Elk Rider™ line of spirits comes from our female founder. Her ancestors were some of the first settlers in the Lake Quinault and Queets River area in the late 1800′s in what is now the heart of Olympic National Park. While homesteading with a family of 17 children these early pioneering family members broke and tamed wild elk. Their feats were legendary for miles around. The elk became so popular they started to be used in parades in southwest Washington and Portland. The best part is we still have the family glass negatives to prove it."

"Every Spirit Has a Story," What's Yours? 

*Full disclosure: I was given products from Heritage Distilling to use for Set the Table cocktail recipes. My opinions are 100% my own.

Bourbon Thyme

Ingredients

• 2 oz Elk Rider Bourbon
• 2 oz Meyer lemon juice
• 2 oz water
• 1 oz honey-thyme simple syrup
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 5 or 6 thyme sprigs

Instructions

1. Fill a cocktail glass with crushed ice.
2. Combine the bourbon, lemon juice, water, and honey-thyme simple syrup in a shaker filled with ice.
3. Stir until thoroughly combined.
4. Strain into prepared cocktail glass, garnish with a thyme sprig, and serve.
5. Combine the honey and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
6. Add the thyme sprigs and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
7. Remove from the heat and let cool.
8. Remove the thyme sprigs and pour into a jar. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

If you can't find Meyer lemons, you can use regular lemons. The result will be a bit more tart but still delicious!

Miso Deviled Eggs

How is it almost Easter already? I mean, seriously. Time needs to slow the train down. Despite the fact that this holiday often sneaks up on me, Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays when it comes to food. We are creatures of habit on my fathers side of the family and our spread always includes my grandma's deviled eggs, my aunt Joanne's sticky caramel rolls, my uncle Steve's Bloody Marys and, of course, lots of locally made sausage and a glazed ham.

Truth time: When I growing up in Minnesota, I think I stuffed my face the most at Easter. To an embarrassing degree.

Ok, glad I got that off my chest. I feel like we are closer now, you and I. Yes?

One of the reasons I love cooking is because I get to take pieces of my life and bring them together when they might otherwise remain separate entities. Here, I've taken deviled eggs, which will forever and always make me think of my grandmother, and added ingredients that reflect our time spent in Japan. White miso paste, hot mustard, and shichimi togarashi come together in these eggs to create something new for your Easter brunch. A couple of these alongside my Japanese Bloody Mary would be absolute perfection.

Another change I made to these eggs was using Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise. I think Greek yogurt gives the yolk mixtures a lighter, fluffier consistency that is a welcome contrast to the bold flavor of miso and hot mustard. I used Tillamook Farmstyle Greek Yogurt, which is mellow and creamy and absolutely perfect in these deviled eggs.

The icing on the cake? Fresh chives cut directly from my garden. Glorious.

About Tillamook Farmstyle Greek Yogurt

·         Tillamook Farmstyle Greek Yogurt is made with no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, no artificial sweeteners, no high fructose corn syrup and with the highest quality milk from cows not treated with artificial growth hormones.

·         Tillamook Farmstyle Greek is a thick, creamy and less tart yogurt made with buttermilk cultures, while providing 14g of protein per serving.

·         To make their better tasting Greek distinctively ‘Farmstyle’, Tillamook slow churns farm fresh milk with seven active yogurt and buttermilk cultures.

·         Tillamook Farmstyle Greek Yogurt is made with fruits and nuts locally sourced from the Pacific Northwest

·         To find out where to buy Tillamook Farmstyle Greek Yogurt readers can use the handy ‘Where to Buy’ tool by clicking here.

*Full disclosure: Tillamook provided me with product to use in this and other posts. My opinions are 100% my own and this post contains no affiliate links. 

Miso Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

• 1 dozen eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons hot mustard
• 2 tablespoons white miso (shiro miso)
• 2/3 cup 2% or full-fat plain Greek yogurt (I used Tillamook because of it's mild, creamy flavor)
• 1/4 cup chopped chives or green onions
• Shichimi togarashi or other fine red pepper flakes for garnish (you can also use paprika in a pinch)
• salt & pepper to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl before you begin hard boiling the eggs.
2. Gently set the eggs in the bottom of a large pot and fill with cold water until the eggs are covered by about one inch.
3. Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a low boil.
4. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let sit for 6 minutes.
5. Remove the eggs from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to your prepared ice bath.
6. When the eggs have cooled (after about 10 minutes) peel the eggs by first tapping them against the countertop. I like to crack around the equator of the egg and at each end.
7. Using the side of your thumb, carefully peel away the egg and the thin membrane between the egg shell and the egg itself.
8. After hard boiling the eggs and removing the shells, cut them in half and remove the yolk using a small spoon. Collect the yolks in a medium bowl and set the emptied whites on a large plate.
9. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the yolks, mustard, yogurt, and miso paste and pulse until smooth. Stir in the chives.
10. Using a teaspoon, fill each egg half with the yolk mixture. Garnish with a few additional chives and the shichimi togarashi.
11. Arrange the eggs on a platter and serve chilled.

Cocktail Friday: Japanese Bloody Mary

I started planting some seeds yesterday. San Marzano tomatoes, basil, bibb lettuce, chard, kale and radishes, to be exact. Last year, though my intentions were good, I had to buy starter plants for every single thing we grew. The reason, you ask? Our beautiful, obnoxious, and far too curious black lab decided to tear up my seed trays last spring. Twice. So I eventually gave up and decided seeds were not in the cards for us just yet. I planted 28 tomato plants. No, I don't know where they will all go just yet. I think I'll cross that bridge when I come to it since there's no guarantee all the seeds will become actual plants. Some will go to better homes but I hope to have several to keep to myself so I can make lots of sauce and can it. I'm not going to get too excited just yet. While I don't think my thumb is black, it is not bright green. Gardening does not come easily to me and I've had quite a few mishaps. Baby steps, right?

Not only is it the season for gardening, we are heading into prime brunch season. Mimosas, Bloody Marys, various cheesy, hot sauce speckled, buttery egg dishes, bacon, and cinnamon rolls galore. Oh...healthy things too. None are coming to mind though.

I first made a version of these Japanese Bloody Marys in 2009. We were in Tokyo, Japan and had survived our first 6 months living a world away from all the things we knew and all the people we loved. Fortunately, we had quickly developed a Tokyo 'family' with whom we celebrated Easter. We spent the day on the banks of the Tamagawa, a river not far from the school where we all taught. We grilled, drank, laughed, and got minor sunburns. It was a fantastic day.

I've taken the recipe I used that day and fixed it up a bit. I added spicy shichimi togarashi, a blend of red pepper flakes commonly used in Japan, along with some wasabi for a horseradish-like bite, and salty-sweet soy sauce in place of worcestershire sauce. The result is a perfectly balanced Bloody Mary that has hints of its classic counterpart but adds a nice change to the world of Bloody Mary creations.

Cheers to Friday and brunch and gardening and Spring!

Japanese-Inspired Bloody Mary

Ingredients

• 2 cups tomato juice, low sodium
• 1 1/2 teaspoons wasabi paste
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon shichimi togarashi
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 5 oz vodka or gin
• celery salt
• Garnishes
• celery stalks
• thick cut applewood smoked bacon, cooked
• lemon wedges

Instructions

1. Put some celery salt on a plate. Using a lemon wedge, line the rims of two tall glasses. Gently dip the rims in the celery salt before filling each glass with ice.
2. In a large glass measuring pitcher, combine the wasabi paste, soy sauce, shichimi togarashi and lemon juice. Whisk until combined.
3. Pour the tomato juice over the wasabi mixture and stir to combine.
4. Put 1 1/2 oz of vodka in each ice-filled glass. Top with the tomato juice mixture and garnish with celery, bacon and lemon.

Cocktail Friday: Big Ginger

I never tire of visiting Minnesota. Maybe everyone feels that way about their home state. When we moved to Japan I felt like the missing would never cease. As it turns out, I was right. Four years in Tokyo followed by nearly 2 in Colorado and I still miss it. What I realize more and more every time is that leaving my home state means leaving my family, which gets harder each time. Instead of being sad about it, I am focusing on the fact that I have a family and a childhood home that are hard to leave.

When we moved into our house in Denver, my parents came to visit. My dad brought us a bottle of 2 Gingers Irish Whiskey, which is made at a distillery in Ireland. (It was only distributed in Minnesota in the beginning, though now it is available nationwide.) We lit a fire in our chiminea and stood outside, the hum of the nearby freeway ringing through the night sky, and toasted to our new home with a round of Big Gingers and an Irish blessing.

Our house has been good to us. I think the symbolic act of the toast, our glasses making the familiar tinkling sound as each rim met another rim, helped start us off on the right foot. I'm thankful for our small, cozy home. I'm thankful for family. And I hope I can create a childhood home for our son that makes him want to return, no matter how long the journey.

TGIF and cheers to you my friends!

Bless This House

Bless this house, o Lord, we pray.

Make it safe by night and day.

Bless these walls so firm and stout,

Keeping want and trouble out.

Bless the roof and chimney tall,

Let thy peace lie over all.

Bless the doors that they may prove,

Ever open to joy and love.

Bless the windows shining bright,

Letting in God's heavenly light.

Bless the hearth a-blazing there,

With smoke ascending like a prayer.

Bless the people here within...

Keep them pure and free from sin.

Bless us all, that one day, we

May be fit, O lord, to dwell with Thee.

Big Ginger

Ingredients

• 2 parts 2 Gingers
• 2 parts ginger ale
• wedge of lemon
• wedge of lime

Instructions

1. Fill a collins glass with ice.
2. Add the 2 Gingers then top with the ginger ale.
3. Garnish with the lemon and lime wedges.