Last Sunday was my first visit of the year to the Dorset (Vermont) Farmer’s Market where it was mildly evident that the peculiar weather hasn’t been kind to growers. Yes, there were the herb sellers, the cheese makers, the bakers and the farmers with their offerings of lettuces, radishes and tiny, new potatoes and the ever-present coterie of kids and dogs. But there seems to be less lettuce and other greens than usual for this time of year.
Many kinds of basil
There is also a lilac-lack. It looks like the bushes started to flower and got interrupted by a frost. Alas, alack, these flowers have always been a treat to see and smell, a pleasure we’ll have to forgo in June 2012.
Not this year
I have put in five tomato plants and surrounded them with marigolds, my namesake flower, that I plant not in self-homage but because they (theoretically) keep critters away from the vegetables. One year I had a perfect Bambi outline in a day lily bed; now I spray with vile-smelling stuff that sometimes does the job. Some people fence their veggie gardens but my tomato plants and a few herbs are my only edibles because—I hope—the farmer’s markets will keep us in green stuff, especially as we’re not here all the time to deal with the deer.
And now for a correction: my last post, with the recipe for Cava Sangria, was missing a few tweaks. It should have 1 T of simple syrup (made by combining equal parts of sugar and water, bringing to a boil and allowing the sugar to dissolve completely. It also needs more Grand Marnier, Triple Sec or whatever orange liqueur you choose. Try ¼ cup and see how you like it.
This is the correct recipe for what we are calling Sangria 96, in honor of our house number:
1 orange, cut up and muddled in the bottom of a pitcher
¼ cup orange liqueur of your choice (we used Triple Sec)
1 (or 2—let taste be your guide) T of simple syrup
1 bottle Cava poured in at the end and mixed gently so it stays bubbly
We had blueberries left over from a dessert so we added them to our glasses. Very festive.
Sangria 96
weather certain has been a mystery — but recipe for the drink sounds grand –
thank you —
Our weather in the West was fairly cool for Memorial Day weekend. One day we even had high fluffy clouds blocking the sun from time to time. This weekend I discovered that I love Bellini–dressed up also with crushed ice and blueberries on the top. At our local Riverside farmers market I only found two kinds of basil but managed to get a couple of them planted. Nothing better than fresh basil!
Thanks for the correction. I have not tried the concoction yet but will be certain to do so soon. I love that farmers market, particularly the cute kids and dogs.