Tasty Beverage: Mandarin-Thyme Cocktail

by | Apr 6, 2009 | Mixed Drinks

mandarin-cocktailUsually around five thirty in the afternoon when the weather gets warm I crave an afternoon cocktail, something light and refreshing to wind down the day. I close my eyes, sip my drink and pretend that I’m  wearing a sun dress, a straw hat, looking over my expansive gardens and thinking up what to pick and prepare for dinner when my friends all descend on my farm.

Ok, so really, I’m in my third floor, garden-less apartment in the city… But a girl can dream.

Generally, my goals for an afternoon drink are light, citrus-y, and not too much liquor; my favorites being the sidecar and the mojito, but only if made from freshly squeezed juices! I decided to meld the two together for this drink, and I brought out the juicer to squeeze some of my mandarins into the base for my thirst quencher, because I have a ten pound bag that needed to be used up. Although, frankly, we seem to be going through about 15 of these little cuties a day, so really, I needn’t worry.

The resulting beverage is sweet, herb-infused, and certainly refreshing!

Mandarin-Thyme Cocktail
makes one

1 cup of freshly squeezed mandarin orange (clementine) juice
1.5 ounces tasty booze*
a few teaspoons fresh thyme
a few teaspoons fresh mint
Sugar, for the rim

Muddle the the thyme and mint with the whiskey. Add to the juice with some ice, and shake until well cold. Sugar the rim of a highball glass, and strain the mixture in, topping with a mint leaf.

*I used Seagrams whiskey, all I have at the moment, but ideally I’d make this drink with a little bit of Hennessy (Cognac) or Grand Marnier (Cognac with bitter orange).

mandarin-oranges

A Trip to Alemany Farmer’s Market

by | Apr 5, 2009 | Farmers Market, Gardening

my-inside-herb-gardenSay hello my new little herb garden! Rosemary, Cilantro, Parsley, Mint, Thyme, Oregano, Marjoram, oh my! I live in a third floor apartment, so its current home is on my washing machine, although I try to move them during the day to where the sun is (when I’m not lazy) . So far they have been doing really well, and if I manage not to kill them, I’ll start adding some more to my collection. Having fresh herbs on hand not only brings greenery into this little apartment, but makes a world of difference in my cooking. Everything tastes about 15 times better, I swear.

daffodils

An affair, of sorts. For the past several months I’ve been frequenting my local farmers market in Noe Valley, just a fifteen minute walk from my house. I can’t adequately express how wonderful it is having fresh produce just a few minutes away, and at prices that are considerably cheaper than the supermarket. Saturday, (feeling a little bit unfaithful to my neighborhood market) I decided to make the five minute drive to Alemany Farmers Market, to “assess the competition”.

Man, oh man. Not only was the market cheaper, but it had so many more options! I have found my farmers market. Entering the farmers market, I spent a dollar on an amuse bouche from one of the local vendors, a lemon poppyseed muffin and a dixie cup full of hot chai.

Keeping to a relatively small budget of $25, my purchases included, Eggman Family alfalfa honey ($2.75) , two big bunches of asparagus ($4), a bunch of fragrant thai basil ($1), about 10 ripe tomatoes ($3.00), with a jalapeno added for good measure (free), three large daikon ($1), four red bell peppers ($2), a couple of pounds of carrots ($1.20), and some brown mushrooms, and oyster mushrooms from Far West Fungi ($5.00).

The most I spent at any vendor was $4.50, on a pound and a half of Kokuho Rose brown rice from Koda farms, which, although it was harvested last fall (California has one legal harvest season), is probably fresher than most of the rice found on the market here. I’m looking forward to trying it.

Had I wanted, I could have taken a few extra dollars for lunch, as the lines for the Taco stand, Pan-O-Rama bakery, and the Hummus guy were all bustling full of excited people in the know. Well, there is always next week… and the week after that… and the one after that.. Alemany, I’m sold.

The one flaw of Alemany are the lines for parking and exiting the parking lot. With no immediate place to go after my shopping, I found that this became a non-issue as I rolled down the windows, listened to some country music, and proceeded to wait patiently eating a fresh carrot. Ah, the life!

mushroomsAnd here, for good measure, is a picture of my newest housemate, a little Echeveria (Hens and Chicks) succulent to brighten up the day! I got him at Trader Joe’s.
succulent-hen-and-chick