Summer Drinks

[goth]

I thought, with summer just around the corner, that we could share some of our simple recipes for refreshing summer drinks/punches.

I'll start us off...


Pimms & Coke

Pour half a bottle of Pimms into a large jug [approx 3 pint jug]. Put in a couple of handfulls of ice and about 12 large mint leaves.

Fill it up with coke, garnish with orange slices, give it a good stir and enjoy!

Aldi's sell a nice Pimms style drink, it's called Austins and is much cheaper than Pimms

[Sleepy]

My favourite has to be Elderflower Champagne. This recipe came from Connie:

Elderflower Champagne

6 Elderflower heads
2 Lemons (sliced)
8 pints of water
1.5 lb sugar
2 tbsp white wine vinegar

Procedure:
Put elderflower heads and lemons in a large clean bucket and pour on the water. Leave to soak for 24 - 36 hours. Strain through a sterile cloth (or muslin) and add sugar and vinegar. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved and pour into screw-top bottles. Leave tops slightly loose for 10 to 14 days. Keep for 2 to 3 months before drinking. Serve cool on a hot, balmy evening.

[bogmyrtle]

goth said:

I thought, with summer just around the corner, that we could share some of our simple recipes for refreshing summer drinks/punches.

I'll start us off...


Pimms & Coke

Pour half a bottle of Pimms into a large jug [approx 3 pint jug]. Put in a couple of handfulls of ice and about 12 large mint leaves.

Fill up with coke, give it a good stir and enjoy!

Aldi's sell a nice Pimms style drink, it's called Austins and is much cheaper than Pimms

I love Pimms but not sure about coke!

We had Pimms at our wedding - I was very put out that they kept taking mine from me for the photographs!

[goth]

bogmyrtle said:

I love Pimms but not sure about coke!

Coke isn't as sweet as lemonade, so I find that it combines much better with the Pimms

[bogmyrtle]

goth said:

bogmyrtle said:

I love Pimms but not sure about coke!

Coke isn't as sweet as lemonade, so I find that it combines much better with the Pimms

I don't like coke on its own, but, in the interests of science (any excuse) I will try it! ;D

We make nettle beer, beech leaf noyau, and Sleepy, we will try your elderflower recipe as well this year.

[4pygmies]

In any summer drink, the addition of a few Borage flowers, is a nice thing. By some alchemy the Borage actually lowers the temperature of the drink apparently. And it looks right purty too.
And of course it traditionally accompanies Pimms.
Any of the fragrant summer herbs are good for scent and flavour in drinks too - mints, lavender, lemon balm and lemon verbena, cinnemon basil etc etc - leaves as well as flowers make a really special addition to a jug of chilled alcoholic whatever you fancy! (As well as squash type drink for children and non drinkers)

[bogmyrtle]

And I have already found some very nice bushes away from roads where I know they flower profusely Sleepy ;D

Beech leaves - we harvest from some trees in a local wood!

Birch sap - from our own tree this year!

I make notes of food to harvest when we go walking and some of the places we revisit throught the year so we learn what we can harvest and where from!

[Sleepy]

bogmyrtle said:

goth said:

Coke isn't as sweet as lemonade, so I find that it combines much better with the Pimms

I don't like coke on its own, but, in the interests of science (any excuse) I will try it! ;D

We make nettle beer, beech leaf noyau, and Sleepy, we will try your elderflower recipe as well this year.

You will have to wait a wee while. Elderflowers come out in early June.

Keep your eyes open for the beech leaves though - they need picking very early - just after 'mouse ear' stage, while they are still translucent.

[Sleepy]

4pygmies said:

In any summer drink, the addition of a few Borage flowers, is a nice thing. By some alchemy the Borage actually lowers the temperature of the drink apparently. And it looks right purty too.
And of course it traditionally accompanies Pimms.
Any of the fragrant summer herbs are good for scent and flavour in drinks too - mints, lavender, lemon balm and lemon verbena, cinnemon basil etc etc - leaves as well as flowers make a really special addition to a jug of chilled alcoholic whatever you fancy! (As well as squash type drink for children and non drinkers)

You can put a borage flower in each section of an ice cube tray - makes for very pretty ice cubes.

[madonplants]

Sainsbury High Juice, apple and blackcurrant for me, with a few ice cubes in it. Sorry to be boring, but it does it for me. Oh and Tesco's tropical juice, but I can't drink a lot as it clears me out, if you know what I mean!! Shame really, as I could drink gallons of the stuff.

Keith

[mummyjanny]

Has anyone tried winter pimms with apple juice. Very nice indeed. It has to be hot.
I have a problem with sugar & I have found a company that makes some sugar free cordials. It's called Thorncroft & they do one called carnival spirit. They say under 15s say it tastes like coke & adults say it tastes like an alcohol free pimms. I shall be looking for that one. I've tried the kombucha & that's lovely.
Janet.

[emseypop]

I know its not a drink as such, but I'd lave to have a go at this, I think its sounds delicious! (especially if I could pull it of with my own tomatoes)

Ingredients
1kg red peppers
700 g baby tomatoes
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 tsp salt
Ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Ingredients for the Bloody Mary mix
Juice of a large lemon
300 ml tomato juice
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
Half tsp Tabasco sauce
25 g basil leaves
25 g powdered gelatine
75ml vodka
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and black pepper

Halve the tomatoes, place on a roasting tin, sprinkle with chopped garlic, caster sugar, salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil and cook under a hot grill for about 10 minutes until some of the skins are charred. Cool.

Quarter, core and de-seed the peppers, grill skin side up for about 10 minutes (again until the skin is charred). Turn peppers over and grill for a further 10 minutes. Put peppers in a plastic bag for about 5 minutes, then peel off the skins.

Add cold water to the lemon juice to make 90 ml. Pour into a heat-proof bowl, sprinkle, the gelatine in and leave for 5 minutes. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water until the liquid runs clear. Cool.

Mix together the tomato juice, vodka, tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and seasoning. Add to the cooled dissolved gelatine, then place in a jug.

Lightly oil a 2 pint mould or tin (or individual containers), then line with cling film. Put in a layer of peppers then cover with the Bloody Mary mix. Add a layer of chopped basil, then tomatoes, and again cover with the liquid mix. Continue with such layers until then containers are full. Tap the containers to distribute the liquid evenly. Fold the clingfilm over the surface and chill for 4 hours or until set. Remove from the mould and cut into slices. Serve a slice on a plate with a few salad leaves. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar (or a balsamic/red wine reduction).

[bogmyrtle]

mummyjanny said:

Has anyone tried winter pimms with apple juice. Very nice indeed. It has to be hot.
I have a problem with sugar & I have found a company that makes some sugar free cordials. It's called Thorncroft & they do one called carnival spirit. They say under 15s say it tastes like coke & adults say it tastes like an alcohol free pimms. I shall be looking for that one. I've tried the kombucha & that's lovely.
Janet.

mummyjanny,

I have looked at the kombucha but not tried that make, I will buy one next time I'm shopping. We used to have one that Waitrose stocked which was slightly sparkling and ready to drink, that was nice.

I was given a kombucha 'plant' once but gave it to a friend to make the drink from, don't think he ever did though, should have kept it. If you can get hold of one (it's like a fungus and slimy but it is a plant!), you make it like ginger beer, but with cold tea and water I think from memory.