Lavender and Grapefruit Martini- Koreatown to Eaglerock CA

KoreaTown 

I hadn’t seen N. in years.  This time we reconnected in another state, California. I was happy to see her. I couldn’t help but notice the blooming lavender in her backyard as the purple bushels stood to our shoulders. Standing on the porch, we eyed the landscaped backyard.  Two oversized rosemary bushes were placed at the front of the pebbled pathway.  Citrus trees lined the fence and  everywhere we looked, white roses.   Her worn in, long haired cat, Rex, was casually hanging around, eagerly awaiting our attention.  Rex was missing most of both ears; all that was left, two small stubs – causalities from what could only have been fights down dark alleys.  

Aside from the lavender, she also had a grapefruit tree that was ripe and giving; not the steroid-sized grapefruit you see in most grocery stores, but grapefruits about the size of a conventionally grown orange. 

The day relaxing with N. was drawing to a close.  She loaded up the car with grapefruits from her tree and the lavender, which she suggested I use to make martinis for my traveling companions C. and L.   

Eaglerock 

Back at the arts and craft house in Eaglerock were I was staying, we mixed two different style martinis.  C. added one full sprig of lavender to the mixer with grapefruit pulp and juice. A few strong shakes later; I found it to be the perfect martini: no sugar.  The bitter taste of the grapefruit made my mouth pucker, I stood rooted in place spending the next few moments in a refreshed stupor from the gin.  The lavender accented the drink with a floral note off setting the fruit, the taste reminiscent of mint.  L. and C. preferred the less fragrant scent and added only the small, narrow, thistle-like leaf from the lavender sprig with two parts gin, enjoying their drink with a hint of just-enough grapefruit, perhaps less then mine to properly enjoy the spirits. 

 

Lavender is strong herb and best to add to the drink as you go, tasting after each addition or it can be too much of a good thing.

 

Lavender and Grapefruit Martini

• 1 part fresh Grapefruit juice
• 2parts gin (Hendricks is my favorite)
• 1 small sprig of lavender
• a dusting of dried grapefruit zest for the rim of the glass

Take the zest from one grapefruit and layout on a lined oven sheet.   Place in the oven on low heat for approximately 5 minutes in a toaster oven is fine, about 350 Degrees.  The oils from the fruit come to the surface and are highly aromatic.   Zest should be just dried, not toasted, and then rubbed together into a fine powder.  

Prepare your glasses with the dried grapefruit zest.     

Fill your martini shakers with ice and pour two parts gin to one part grapefruit juice.  I prefer to not add sugar but if you do, a touch of agave would be nice. 

Add the lavender, perhaps just a few flower buds at first to the martini shaker, fresh pulp and one part grapefruit juice. 

Shake vigorously.  Enjoy with friends.  Walk home.

Cheers!

Homemade Soda: Ginger Ale

A reformed soda addict makes naturally carbonated seltzer water as fanciful as it can be healthy.

In making your own soda you enable yourself to control both the type or sugar and quality of ingredients. All the sugar laden, high fructose corn syrup beverages found in our grocery stores, truth here, I love them, the way I love things that are bad for me. The excess sugar, and synthetic flavoring found in most of today’s soda’s could make you feel that your drinking a pixie stick and if I had wanted to drink a pixie stick I would have combined it on my own, similarly as I’m doing below. I wanted a real ginger ale.

I grew up nursing a coke bottle, my rewards coming in the form of a malt beverage. Rewards found in family celebrations, birthday parties, lunch time in the school cafeteria, after school snacks- basically as often as I could. You know this, you were there. This love, like many relationships gone wrong, has run its course.

So now, mineral water, seltzer water, bubbly water; Water that brims to the surface; Water that hydrates and has the pleasant sound of air as it breaks the seal; Water that makes me feel that I don’t have to give up everything I love because we learn to know the difference.

Ginger ale made with sharp earthy ginger root. The same medicinal ingredient that calms our stomachs helps with digestion, cramps and other hopeful, healthful properties, a medicinal ingredient in the form of a flowing soda.

Ginger Ale with a Lemon twist

First you will start by making a simple syrup from the recipe below, combine this with sparkling mineral water or seltzer.

• 1Cup peeled ginger root
• 1Cup water
• 2tablespoons lemon juice
• 2tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar ( more or less to your taste) or preferred sugar
• zest from one lemon (a potato peeler works very well)
• seltzer or sparkling mineral water

This recipe uses agave nectar as the preferred sugar however use what you have and your best choice. I’ve used maple syrup had it turned out very well. Some may find that they don’t want or need a sweetener. Either way the agave is a nice alternative to white processed sugar.

In medium sauce pan combine 1/4 inch slices of ginger root, 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon agave nectar (more or to your taste). Set over medium high heat, stir until the agave nectar (or type of sugar you’re using) has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to steep for at least twenty minutes to an hour.

With a fine mesh sieve into clean container. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Once ready to use combine 1/4 cup ginger juice to 1 cup seltzer or mineral water then add a strip of lemon zest, twist and enjoy.