Lime Cordial

When Mr. O-P came home with a bag of a dozen large limes, I just looked at him. Not that I don't appreciate limes in mass quantities, but the previous day he had come home with twice as many key limes. That is a lot of limes! Yes, the queen of salsa (cf. this blog post) does use a heck of a lot of fresh lime juice in salsa and guacamole, but, really, a dozen more?

So, I hopped onto the Internet in search of something unique to try, and I found it, and boy is it easy. It is also refreshing and delicious, and positively addicting. As you might imagine, it makes a great accompaniment to chips and salsa, and is not bad at all with a shot of tequila. In fact, added to a pitcher of freshly brewed iced tea it makes a great summer refresher.

Lime Cordial

From epicurious.com

Lime cordial is a mixture of sweet limeade syrup and beer, club soda, or seltzer, in a ratio of about 3 parts syrup to 1 part beer or soda (the syrup by itself can also be properly called lime cordial). The wonderfully refreshing drink both complements and tames intense spices.

6-1/2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 cup strained fresh lime juice (from 8 large limes)
Beer, club soda or seltzer

Heat water and sugar in a 2-quart saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, then cool to room temperature.

Stir in lime juice and chill, covered, until cold, about 3 1/2 hours.

Pour about 3/4 cup lime cordial in a tall glass filled with ice and top off with beer or club soda.

This post is linked to:

Inspire Me Tuesday

Clever Chicks Blog Hop

The Scoop

Tuesdays At Our Home

Guacamole Salad

By now you all know of my love for salsas and guacamole. It's good to know that I am not alone! I have heard from quite a number of you who are of like mind, and share my love for pretty much anything tossed together with cilantro and lime. If you are among those who find this an irresistible combination, then you are going to swoon over this salad. As spooning guacamole straight from the bowl that you are cradling in your arms can be looked upon as gauche, this salad -- essentially a large, chunky version of guacamole -- is quite acceptable. It is also quite colorful, quite healthy, and quite good.

Guacamole Salad

1 cup halved Melissa’s baby Heirloom tomatoes

1 cup corn*

½ cup red onion, diced fine

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced fine

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

½ teaspoon freshly grated lime zest

Juice from one lime

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Few gratings of freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon minced garlic

2 ripe avocados, diced into ½” chunks

In a medium bowl, place tomatoes, corn, onion, pepper, cilantro, and lime zest; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic. Pour mixture over vegetables, and fold in avocado.  Serve immediately.

*I roast a cob of corn over the flame on my gas stove and cut the kernels off with a corn ripper.

This post is linked to:

Foodie Friday & Everything Else

Simple Saturdays

Strawberry Margarita Jam

 People who read this blog regularly will often ask if I eat like this every day.  Umm.  No.  One night last week (sadly, I am not kidding) I had potato salad and gumdrops for dinner.  Yep.  What can I say?  I was tired, I hadn’t thawed anything, and this was pretty much all that was available without effort.

I also have my share of failures.  Now today’s recipe is not exactly a failure.  I was quite chuffed (And by “chuffed” I mean the British slang version, i.e. “delighted”, NOT the version that my sons managed to find online, i.e. “puffed with fat” something they both found quite hilarious particularly since I tend to be a bit on the, ummm, pudgy side.) with the recent successes of my two marmalades, Seville Orange and Meyer Lemon Vanilla Bean, so I dove right into this recipe that I discovered in the course catalog of Kitchen Conservatory.  Imagine, I thought to myself, a Strawberry Margarita that I could spread on toast!  We’re talking strawberries, lime, TEQUILA and Triple Sec ON TOAST!  Well…it IS delicious, very delicious, but it didn’t quite gel.  Now I am not bothered by this.  I have been known, a la Joey Tribiani from “Friends,” to eat jam right from the jar, but you might want something a bit more solid.

I gave a jar to my aunt who called to enthusiastically thank me for the “Strawberry Ice Cream Topping” so we’ll just go with that.

Actually I do plan to make this again, follow my own direction, and use the frozen plate test that has never failed in the past.  If this works, I’ll let you know.  But here is the recipe that is well worth trying and 100% worth eating.  In fact, try to stop yourself!

 

This post is linked to:

On the Menu Monday

Garden Bench

 For Metamorphosis and Mosaic Monday I thought I'd share a project my son has been working on for the past couple of weeks.  One of the causalities of the storm was our little Victorian garden bench.  The way it used to look is shown in the upper left-hand corner of this mosaic (photo from the Harbor Freight website).  I was perfectly happy with this, but after seeing it in bits, I decided I wanted something a bit different and more colorful with the placement changed from the far back of the yard, up to the front where I could see it every day as I was having my morning coffee.  The only spot relatively untouched by the tornado was a small area just outside the kitchen window, so a couple of weeks ago Andrew went to work.  Here are pictures of the results.

I LOVE the vibrant colors of this bench, and how great they look with the potted calibrachoa on top of the nudes base at right.  The "planter" at far left is the top of a birdbath, the base of which was lost to the storm, planted with begonias. Directly behind the bench I planted zinnia seeds, so it should be a riot of color come August.

All of the hostas in this area were rescued from beneath trees (now gone) in other parts of the yard.  We went from a yard that was all shade to one that is now virtually all sun, so I have to entirely rethink our existing and future plantings.  The small red impatiens will eventually grow together and fill this area with lots of red and hummingbirds.

These shoes have been in the garage for ages.  Many times I thought I should just get rid of them, but I'm glad I saved them as they look perfect beneath the bench, planted with creeping jenny.

Have a colorful Monday!

This post is linked to:
Seasonal Sunday, Metamorphosis Monday, Mosaic Monday,  This Week In my Garden, Wow Us Wednesday, Flora Thursday at Fishtail Cottage, Outdoor Wednesdays 
and