Lavender Lemonade

Is it too late to wish you all a Happy New Year?!

In any case, let us kick aside the tumbleweeds that have inhabited this space and make something nice and simple to ease us into 2014.

The first time I made lavender lemonade was for the Sydney Food Bloggers Christmas Picnic. I was feeling rushed and disorganised, not to mention a little under pressure to make something decent to contribute to a mass of food bloggers!

Out of sheer desperation and the fact that I had a big ‘ol bag of lemons from the tree where my parents live(that fruits all year round), lemonade made sense. I used dried, food-grade lavender in this batch, as well as a fistful of mint from out the back, and topped it up with soda water.

Cumquat Bourbon Sour: A Video

Here is something I can add to the list of "Things I Can Make With Cumquats". It comes right after cumquat marmalade - which my Mum makes, incidentally, not me. I think I am going to have to make it my personal business to add to that list - they are just so endearing to look at and so deliciously tart. There is a lot of promise to be found in one of those golden orbs. 
Enter this cocktail -  a riff on a traditional Whiskey Sour. It is the perfect addition to anyone's "Things I Can Make With Cumquats" list - in my humble opinion. 
A big thank- you to my mate Brendan who not only taught me how to shoot video on my camera, but shot, edited and helped me drink the subject. It was a fun afternoon.


Cumquat Bourbon Sour
45ml Bourbon – I used Makers Mark
60ml Cumquat sour mix - see recipe below
1 egg white - optional*
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice cubes. 
Shake vigorously! 
Strain into a coupe glass. 
Wait a bit for the egg white to form a frothy head. 
Garnish with a slice of cumquat.  

*If you choose to use raw eggs in this recipe, please do so at your own risk. I only used the freshest of eggs and take no responsibility for any outcome from using raw eggs in cooking. Head here for more information about consuming raw eggs.

Cumquat Sour Mix
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Approx 15 cumquats, stems removed
Juice from 1 lemon

In a saucepan, add the water and sugar and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. 
Add the cumquats and boil for around 7 minutes. 
Ladle the cumquats and the syrup into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Pass the mix through a sieve and add the lemon juice. 
Leave to cool.  
Store in an air-tight jar the fridge for cumquat-related beverage emergencies. 

When Life Gives You Buddha's Hands

The other day at work I decided that I needed to pick up some good habits in my life. One good habit that seemed attainable to me at that point in time was getting more vitamins into me via a fresh veggie juice. 

The juice shop that I went to was filled with all sorts of beautiful fruit and veg on display, but something caught my eye - something out of the ordinary.

Today I bring you Buddha’s Hand Citrons. Whatever, right? No big deal? Wrong - I have been thinking about this gnarley looking fruit for a very long time. I have a Buddha's Hand tree growing out the back which is about a year and a half old now and probably another year or so away from bearing any fruit. I had to have them like I had to buy yet another pair of ballet flats on pay day. 

The Buddha's Hands were not there for juicing, the owner of the shop had them dotted about for display purposes. Apparently they had been given to him by a friend who had a bumper crop in his garden. The owner was more than happy to sell them to me and before I knew it, I had my almost forgotten veggie juice and a bag of yellow hands in my possession.

According to Wikipedia, Buddha's Hands originate from North East India or China. They are used for anything from offerings in Buddhist temples to perfuming a room. They contain no flesh; just pith, and the pith is not bitter at all - so it is OK if it ends up in your cooking. The zest is amazingly fragrant, like blossoms and lemons together. The taste is as it smells - divine. 

You might think they look a little bit freaky, but I think they look amazing - like sea creatures. To me, they look as if they have a personality!

I needed to stretch these guys out as far as I could. So I did three things with them to ensure that I would be in good supply of Buddha's Hands until the next time I cross paths with them.

Firstly, booze was on the cards. I zested two of my precious supply into a whole bottle of vodka to make Buddha's Hand liqueur or Buddhacello - if you will. I tried very hard not to let much pith slip in there because I want it to be as clear as possible. In a couple of months time I will add some simple syrup and let it rest again for a time until it is ready to be drunk over ice or slipped into cocktails. There was a fair bit of syrup left over from my next two recipes, so I think I will use that to further amplify the flavour.

Next up I decided to candy one of them by slicing it up into strips and boiling it in syrup. I left about two millimetres of pith on there - any more and I felt it might be a little spongy. I tossed the strips in some vanilla sugar and dried them over night. It took a lot of strength not to gobble the lot and currently, the jar is sitting at work where it is being picked over whenever someone passes by.

For the last two hands, I candied those as well. This time I diced the hands and preserved them in the syrup. These will be fantastic in cakes and other desserts.

I went out for veggie juice with good intentions and life gave me Buddha's Hands - now (because I have actually eaten it) I definitely cannot wait for my tree to start fruiting. 

A tip when preparing Buddha's Hands: Dirt gets into the crevices of the "fingers" you will need to scrub the fruit thoroughly and then scrub the fingers as you cut into it.
Store any leftover syrup from the candied recipes in the fridge to make the Buddhacello - I have not included this in the recipe (just the ingredients to make simple syrup.

Buddha's Hand Liqueur or Buddhacello
recipe adapted from frangage.com
2 Buddha's Hand Citron - thoroughly scrubbed and removed of dirt
1 bottle (750ml)of vodka.
225g white sugar
435ml water

Using a vegetable peeler, remove all zest from the fruit and discard the pith. 
In a large jar, add the zest and pour over the vodka.
Store for around 40 days, shaking when you remember.
Strain the vodka (discarding the zest) through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheese cloth into a jug.
Make a simple syrup by dissolving the sugar into the water over a medium heat - do not boil, leave to cool.
Add the syrup to the vodka slowly. Taste until you have the sweetness you like. 
Pour the liqueur into clean, sterilised, sealable bottles. 
Store for another month,(if you can)the longer you leave it the further the flavour will develop.
Serve icy cold over ice or add it to cocktails and desserts. 

Candied Buddha's Hands
recipe adapted from David Lebovitz 
You will need a candy thermometer for this recipe
1 Buddha's Hand Citron
400g sugar plus 1 cup of sugar for coating the strips
300ml water

Cut the hands into thin strips, about 3 mm in thickness - discard the rest of the pith
Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the strips of Buddha's Hand and boil for around 30 to 40 minutes or until the strips become translucent.
Drain and set aside.
In the same large saucepan, stir the sugar into the 300mls of water over a medium heat until dissolved.
Add the strips and attach the candy thermometer to the side of the pot. 
Increase the heat and cook the strips until the temperature reaches 110C. This should take around 15 to 20 minutes.
Turn the heat off and let the strips sit in the syrup to cool. Strain the strips (reserving the syrup for other uses) and press out as much syrup as possible with the back of a spoon. 
Toss the strips in the extra cup of sugar and spread them on a wire rack to dry out overnight. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Candied Buddha's Hands Preserved in Syrup
recipe adapted from David Lebovitz
2 Buddha's Hand Citron
600g sugar 
500ml water


Dice the hands, about 3 mm in thickness - discard the rest of the pith
Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the cubes of Buddha's Hand and boil for around 30 to 40 minutes or until they become translucent.
Drain and set aside.
In the same large saucepan, stir the sugar into the 500mls of water over a medium heat until dissolved.
Add the cubes and attach the candy thermometer to the side of the pot. 
Increase the heat and cook the cubes until the temperature reaches 110C. This should take around 15 to 20 minutes.
Turn the heat off and let the Buddha's Hand sit in the syrup to cool slightly. 
Using a slotted spoon, spoon the cubes into sterilised jars and seal tightly. 
Leave to cool before storing in a cool, dark cupboard.

Peach and Lemon Verbena Lassi

I feel like we are running out of time with peaches and I am experiencing a sense of desperation about them. 

Is this normal? Am I crazy to feel like I need to buy every single peach that I walk past? Southern Hemisphere Readers: you understand, right?

I also feel desperate about the end of Daylight Savings and public transport in Sydney in peak hour on a rainy day – but that’s not for here.

I love autumn and all that it brings - but I am not blind to the fact that the colours of summer are starting to fade in the fruit shops and markets. I walk past a guy selling fruit in the C.B.D of Sydney every morning when I get off the bus - the peaches and nectarines are still there, but they have a look about them. It is as if they know that their time will be up soon. 

Wow, how depressing. To remedy this, I have made you some lassi.

This traditional Indian yoghurt based drink has had a bit of a makeover (if you will) with the peaches that I cannot say "see ya later" to.

I also sweetened it with honey and thinned the thick yoghurt out with a little coconut water - only because I had some at hand. If it were slightly warmer weather, I would have blended it with some crushed ice instead of the coconut water...or just used regular old H20.

Adding lemon verbena to the mix elevates this to status: Special. 
Lemon balm or even fresh mint with a little lemon zest would work here too.

This is a good way to get peaches into you fast – apart from (obviously) actually just eating the peach on its own.

Now comes to the part where I realise that I am silly to be so desperate about peaches leaving us so soon and I should look towards autumn with fresh eyes and apples in my heart.

Bah! No.

I am still in peach mode – I‘ll get to autumn in a couple of weeks.

Peach and Lemon Verbena Lassi
Serves 2
2 ripe peaches, stones removed, chopped
300ml Greek Style Yoghurt
Approx 1.5 tablespoons fresh lemon verbena leaves - substitute: mint, lemon balm or lemon zest.
1 tablespoon honey
Coconut water - substitute: milk, crushed ice or water for thinning.

Add peaches, lemon verbena, yoghurt and honey to a blender and blend until smooth and incorporated. Add a splash of coconut water to thin to your liking.
Serve cold.