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Reporting to you from the never ending heat wave in southern Ontario. The only creative projects I’m getting excited about in the kitchen these days are fancy drinks because varied hydration has been a proven tactic in keeping the morale high while we continue to to work and do all the things at home. I love that this minty cucumber limeade is just a blend and strain away from total refreshment. It’s also yet another great use for my robust backyard mint. You could mix this cucumber limeade up with your spirit of choice (gin seems natural here) or just drink it as-is like we did.
We are starting some early birthday celebrations for my partner this weekend! I’m also working on a special recipe for Brooklyn Delhi (coming soon!) and getting in as much gardening as I can before the sun gets too hot. Besides those things, lots of porch hangs, dog snuggles, and cool beverages are in our future. A bit of work and play. With that, I’ll leave you to some links for things that caught my attention this week! Be well.
-“In our pristine-looking path to Hawaii, it was all there—87,000 tons of electronics, toothbrushes, fishing nets, yogurt containers, and CD cases—churned into a thick soup that was invisible to me yet comprises three-quarters of some turtles’ diets.”
-One of my favourite cookbooks lately has been My Mexico City Kitchen by Gabriela Camara. The book is definitely not vegan, but Camara teaches a lot of technique for building flavours in a way that can apply to vegan cooking. The segments devoted to basics like bean cooking and rice, and also the beverages are just fantastic. It’s also an incredibly beautiful book.
-Several spiritual leaders share what spiritual wellness has looked for them during the pandemic, or “forced time for soul searching.”
-I’ve been learning a lot from the Point of Origin podcast by Whetstone Media. This episode on culinary commodities where coconuts are discussed as a seafaring fruit (!) was particularly interesting to me.
–A Farming and Food Justice Reading List
–Summer salad inspiration! Love the breadcrumb idea and apparently I’m already in the cool kid club of making my vinaigrettes on the acidic side.
-I was gifted a jar of a recently-launched product called Oat Butter and wow! It’s like a spreadable oatmeal cookie. The base is oats and walnuts with some coconut and a touch of maple in the mix. Ours is already gone (mostly from me eating it with a spoon). I would definitely recommend grabbing a jar next time they re-stock!
–What can food media learn from the overdue reckoning at Bon Appetit?
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MINTY CUCUMBER LIMEADE RECIPE
Print the recipe here!
SERVES: Makes 2 ¼ cups or 4 small drinks
NOTES: This cucumber limeade would be truly excellent with some gin!
-I use a vegetable peeler to make long ribbons of cucumber to garnish the drink.
-To make simple syrup, simply combine equal parts natural cane sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the sugar dissolves, allow the syrup to cool. Keep it in the fridge!
1 ½ cups chopped cucumber (peeled or not, both are great!)
1 ½ cups water
2 sprigs of mint, leaves removed
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons agave nectar or simple syrup, plus more to taste if necessary
pinch of sea salt
ice, for serving
In an upright blender, combine the cucumber, water, mint leaves, lime juice, agave nectar, and salt. Blend the mixture on high until totally liquified, about 1 minute.
Run the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large measuring cup or bowl. Be careful not to press too much on the pulp as we want to avoid any bitterness. Taste the cucumber limeade and add more agave nectar if you like. Stir to combine.
Pour the resulting minty cucumber limeade over lots of ice. Garnish with a mint sprig, extra cucumber, or a lime wedge.
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YUM! This really hits the spot on a warm summer evening. And yes, I did add gin, and I highly recommend that you do, too :) I used a Korean mint variety from my garden, and it added a great flavor.