Cucumber Bird’s Eye Smash
A spicy, herbaceous cocktail crafted with this week’s fiery hot sauce.
Ingredients:
½ cucumber, washed and cut into bite-sized chunks
4-6 basil leaves
Dash of simple syrup
1.5 ounces dry gin
Juice of 1 lime
Dash of Cucumber Bird’s Eye hot sauce
Method:
1. Muddle the basil leaves and cucumber chunks in a cocktail shaker along with about a half tablespoon of simple syrup. Add the gin, lime juice, and a few drops of the hot sauce and shake with ice. Strain into a glass over fresh ice and enjoy!
Homemade Bloody Marys
The perfect straws for enjoying these homemade Bloody Marys? Lovage stems, of course!
Ingredients:
4 cups tomato juice
1 cup vodka
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
⅓ cup distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
Lemon or lime wedges
Garnishes (choose any): Lovage stems (for straws), plus celery stalks, cherry tomatoes, dill pickle spears, pickled okra, and/or green cocktail olives
Method:
1. In a blender, combine the tomato juice, vodka, cucumber, vinegar, celery seed, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Securely fasten the lid and blend on high speed until completely smooth.
2. Taste, and add more hot sauce for more heat (it will taste quite intense now, since the mix hasn’t cooled over ice yet). Add the black pepper and garlic. Securely fasten the lid and blend for just a few seconds (or longer, for a completely smooth texture). Taste, and stir in ¼ teaspoon salt for more overall flavor if you’d like. Set aside.
3. Fill the glasses with ice, and pour the Bloody Mary mix on top. Stir with a spoon, and garnish each with a lemon or lime wedge, a lovage stem for a straw and any additional garnishes of your choice. Serve immediately.
Spring Brunch Recipes
Wake up to the fresh flavors of spring with a delivery highlighted by Skagit River Ranch breakfast sausages, cinnamon-raisin bread, duck eggs and lovely, lilac-hued chive blossoms. This lineup is sure to delight any diner at your table, also including the first of the cherry tomatoes, our own lemon-caper dressing to drizzle over roasted cauliflower and pungent herbs like thyme, oregano and even lovage, the stems of which make perfect straws for homemade Bloody Marys (see recipes for details). Cheers!
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Homemade Bloody Marys
The perfect straws for enjoying these homemade Bloody Marys? Lovage stems, of course!
Cherry Tomato Salad with Chives & Lemon
This incredibly-fresh salad should be made right ahead of serving.
Fried Duck Eggs Over Roasted Spring Vegetables
Shake up your breakfast routine with this hearty, healthy vegetable hash!
Sautéed Broccoli Raab
A variety of broccoli with long, thin leafy stalks, this hearty Italian green (also known as rapini) shines in an easy preparation from Gourmet magazine.
Oven-Roasted Cauliflower
Tossed with our bright lemon-caper dressing, this recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse is a snap to make.
Chive Blossom Vinegar
This punchy vinegar is fantastic incorporated into salad dressings.
Chive Blossom-Garlic Aioli
This flavorful aioli is wonderful served with roasted fingerling potatoes for brunch.
Peach Season Recipes
With a delicate, fragrant aroma and juicy, tender flesh, the peach is a cornerstone of late summer dining and we’re celebrating the stone fruit in all its glory. With a beautiful selection of produce ranging from bicolor corn and heirloom tomatoes to zesty limes, plus flavorful smoked chicken, pumpernickel bread and delicate quail eggs, this week’s lineup is bright and summer-fresh—shake up a fruity cocktail with Lime basil simple syrup, slice up a peach and enjoy!
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Peach Nectar Cocktail with Lime Basil Syrup
Perfect for a hot summer’s day, this crisp, refreshing cocktail is splashed with our housemade syrup.
Grilled Peaches with Mascarpone, Pistachios & Balsamic Glaze
Peaches off the grill are a true summer delight—we particularly love this salty, sticky-sweet topping.
Deviled Quail Eggs
This wonderful picnic dish is sure to impress, made with petite, creamy quail eggs.
Grilled Peach Salad with Blue Cheese
With peppery arugula and a red wine vinaigrette, this salad would also be incredible tossed with smoked chicken.
Summer Peach & Heirloom Tomato Salad
Incredibly fresh and light, this colorful salad is accented by a robust heirloom tomato vinaigrette.
Grilled Heirloom Tomato Vinaigrette
In addition to this week’s salad, this bright and robust dressing is wonderful tossed with pasta, or drizzled over steamed or grilled artichokes.
Chili-Lime Sweet Corn Salad
Crunchy, spicy, tangy and sweet, this salad is bursting with flavor.