KITCHEN TABLE

THIS GLASS IS FULL, NO HALF MEASURES HERE!

Eat and drink with the rhythm of the seasons, bring nature to your glass with drinks based on garden-fresh ingredients such as herbs, berries, fruits and spices. These recipes are from the book From Garden to Glass by David Hurst Universe, $29.95

Tangerine Dream

5 large basil leaves

6 tangerine segments

1 tbsp simple syrup*

2½ oz pink grapefruit juice

1 sprig of basil, to garnish

Muddle the basil leaves in the base of a cocktail shaker along with the tangerine segments and a drop of the simple syrup. Add the pink grapefruit juice, the rest of the simple syrup, and a handful of ice. Shake well. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Garnish with a sprig of basil.

Berry Blast

6 fresh raspberries

6 fresh strawberries

6 fresh blueberries

6 fresh blackberries

1 oz elderflower cordial

Juice from 1 lime

¼ oz simple syrup*

Ginger beer

Fresh berries and metal cocktail stick to garnish

Muddle the berries in the base of a cocktail shaker. Squeeze in the fresh lime juice. Add the simple syrup, cordial, and a handful of ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into handled jars filled with crushed ice. Top with ginger beer. Spear extra berries on a metal cocktail stick and lay across the top of the glass.

Papa’s Orange Fizz

Juice from 5 large oranges

1 papaya

Sparkling water

Slice of orange, to garnish

Pour the juice from the oranges into a blender. Peel the papaya and remove the seeds. Chop into chunks and add to the blender. Blend well (you may need to add a little water to get the right consistency – you are aiming for a drink as opposed to a thick smoothie). Pour into a Casablanca glass. Top with sparkling water. Stir well. Garnish with a slice of orange.

Mint and Melon Milk 

½  honeydew melon

4 oz coconut milk

Squeeze of fresh lime juice

4 leaves of fresh mint

1 tsp runny honey (or to taste)

Grated lime zest and sprig of  mint to garnish

Quarter the honeydew melon, remove the seeds, then reduce the quarters to wedges. Cut off the rind. Chop the melon flesh into chunks and blend with coconut milk, lime juice, mint leaves and a handful of ice. Add honey to taste. Pour into a highball glass, garnish with lime zest grated on top of the drink and decorate with a sprig of mint.

* Simple Syrup. Put the same ratio of cold water to granulated sugar in a heavy-based pan and bring to the boil. As soon as it starts to boil, turn down the heat and stir well with a wooden spoon; you’ll see that the liquid is gradually becoming clear and syrupy as the water absorbs all the sugar. Take off the heat, leave to cool, then pour into a sterile bottle and store in the fridge. It will keep for a couple of months.