In the Garden ~ Cucumber Overload

     

        If there is one vegetable that grows in abundance during the late Spring early Summer, it has to be the cucumber. Not only do they grow in abundance but they also like to hide in their own vines and can get out of hand if you are not checking on them regularly.  With the many cucumbers that end up on kitchen counters around the world, people might become stymied by what to create with this summer veg that is beyond slicing and dicing. 

A classic of all cucumber lovers is cold cucumber soup.  While many people do not enjoy cold soup, since that is not what we have been programmed to think of as soup, it is cool, refreshing and flavorful, a great complement to any dinner during the summer and an easy way to consume a few cucumbers. Our favorite recipe has yogurt and dill that helps to add a measure of summer flavors with all the freshness of the cucumbers.

Cucumber Soup

1 cup cucumber, deseeded

½ cup water

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

2 TBSP fresh dill

2 TBSP fresh parsley

1 tsp salted herbs

Blend everything together and let chill for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator.  Serve in chilled dishes for effect and top with fresh slices of cucumber as well as additional herbs.

Another classic that leads towards fresh and tangy cucumber goodness that we featured in our Asian themed dinner last year was a Cucumber Sesame Salad. You could make this for a group or just for yourself to “spice up” your cucumber dish and use up some of your delicious grown veggie. 

Cucumber Sesame Salad

2 cucumbers peeled and sliced thin

2 TBSP rice vinegar

1 TBSP sesame oil

1 TBSP sugar or honey

2 tsp soy sauce

½ tsp Salt

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Crushed red pepper flakes

Peel and slice your cucumbers and set them on a paper towel to remove some of the moisture.  In a medium bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients.  Add the cucumbers and stir to coat.  Taste and see if you need to add more flavor.  Then chill for up to 4 hours ahead of serving or even a whole day.  

We have often used cucumbers in multiple cocktails over the years.  An Elderflower Basil Martini, in which the cucumbers, combined with the basil, really showed off the color green.  Another great classic, especially  in March is an Irish Maid, be sure to find a bartender that knows what they're doing when you order this one.  Last but not least a full summer classic, Cucumber Watermelon Gin and Tonic.  This drink brings together two great summer flavors and puts them together in one glass.  A delicious and refreshing combination for sure. Plus, it looks amazing in the glass. 

Cucumber Watermelon Gin and Tonic 

8 cups cubed seedless watermelon

4 ounces fresh lime juice

1 cup gin

1 cup thinly sliced cucumber

1 TBSP agave

½ cup mint

1 cup tonic water

Cut up your watermelon and place it in a blender.  Blend until smooth and there are no more chunks.  Strain the watermelon through a sieve into a pitcher. Add in gin, lime juice, agave and mint.  Stir to combine.  Serve over ice, and garnish with a cucumber and mint. Top it off with tonic water. 

There are many creative ways to add cucumber into your diet everyday, when you have it growing in abundance.  Let us know your favorite way to eat and serve this summer staple. Until then happy gardening and we hope you are enjoying the fruits of your labor.

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Elderflower Basil Martini

     

    After much deliberation for this month's cocktail, I finally settled on an Elderflower Martini.  Here at the Oaks Bed and Breakfast we happen to be big fans of all things Elderflower.  This French liqueur is smooth, and perfect to add a little elegance with a hit of floral to your cocktail.

A relatively new liqueur on the market, Elderflower has gained in popularity since hitting the bar top in 2001.  The flowers are handpicked in the early Spring and smashed within 24 hours of picking to contain their fragrance.  The Elderflower has a long history of folklore in protection and healing. 

The Elderflower Martini is simple and easy to make.  With the added herb of basil this drink is perfect for late Spring where the nights are still cool and the days warm.  Here is what you need to make your drink.

Cucumber Basil Elderflower Martini

1 ounce Elderflower Liqueur

2 ounces Vodka

½ cup chopped cucumber

½ ounce fresh squeezed lime juice

6 basil leaves

Muddle your basil and cucumber in the bottom of your shaker cup, until the flavors are well blended.  Add in the Elderflower, vodka and lime juice.  Add in Ice, then shake vigorously until the outside of the container is chilled.  Strain into a Martini glass.  Garnish with a cucumber ribbon and basil leaf.

        The glimpse of summer really comes out in this drink, with the cucumber and basil, muddled in the bottom of the shaker cup.  The more you press those flavors together the stronger the taste.  What a great way to welcome the changing seasons and enjoy a refreshing beverage while soaking in the cooler temps on the back deck at the Oaks.  

As always please drink responsibly and have a designated driver.  Cheers!

In the Garden ~ Companion Planting

 

    This February weather has been pretty mild so far, but do not let it fool you into complacency, your plants are not yet ready to go outside.  What you can do instead is get ready to plant in the coming weeks by starting your plants early inside, if you have the space.  This could be anywhere you have good lighting or you can also use grow lights.  If you are really lucky, a green house.  To get some of the best yields you have ever had, we wanted to talk about companion planting.  

Companion planting is growing vegetables, herbs or flowers near each other to optimize the soil, bug deterrents and pollinators, for a stronger healthier plant and a larger yield.  Did you know that tomatoes love carrots?  While we usually plant basil with our tomatoes, they also love carrots.  Since carrots like cooler weather, start them first, then succession plant in tomatoes and basil, as the days go longer and the temperature increases.

Another favorite of ours to plant together is nasturtium and cucumbers.  Nastirtium is a flowering green, where everything it grows is edible.  The flower and leaves are a perfect addition to salads, and adds a bit of peppery spice to the dish.  Cucumbers thrive with nasturtium growing close by.  Ours took off and did not look back.  

Probably our most successful and favored planting companions is the “three sisters” combination of beans, squash and corn.  This triple threat works great together and produces wonderful yields when grown together.  With differing times of produce, you can have food all summer long with these companions.

We usually mix together our greens, in rows by and around each other.  Kale, spinach, arugula and chard all go well together and create bountiful yields when planted.  The cooler weather allows for greens to grow and thrive together early on in the season, and when planted next to each other, they all thrive.  

We have left the best for last, marigolds.  Marigolds are a garden staple and we plant these all around the edge of our beds to help keep away unwanted pests and to draw in pollinators.  Marigolds help tomatoes, summer squash, lettuce, and green beans.  These flowers are beautiful as well as beneficial for any garden.  

Do not be afraid to combine your plants this year for a stronger, healthy plant that produces more food for you and your family.  Companion planting is more than just planting next to each other, its a great way to ward off pests and optimize your garden to produce more.  Be sure to check out the chart from the Farmers Almanac website for more details and plants that we did not cover.  Happy planning and plating this Spring.

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Cucumber Watermelon Gin and Tonic

    What says summer better than fresh cut watermelon?  How about combining it with some home grown cucumbers from the garden, and add a sprig of mint.  You have a great, refreshing summer cocktail or mocktail.  This one is easy to make as either one.  

    Now you might be wondering how to get that great watermelon flavor into your drink.  It's easy, cube it up and blend until there are no more chunks.  The longer part in this process is going to be straining the liquid from the left over pulp.  At least it was for us since, our strainer has pretty small holes, just enough for the liquid to pass through. I would not skip this step, since it helps to make the drink so much smoother.

    All of the ingredients are pretty simple and straight forward.  Everything is fresh and can come directly from your garden.  All except for the gin, since that might be easier to purchase.   Never fear, a garden is not a requirement on this drink.  It's just another tool in your belt that you can use to help you know where your food comes from.  

    After you blend your watermelon up it's as easy as pouring the rest into your pitcher.  This drink is made in a big batch for all your friends to enjoy at the summer bar-b-que or book club.  In my video I did make it a single drink so use those math skills and reduce or expand to make this drink for the number of people you are looking to serve. 

Cucumber Watermelon Gin and Tonic (serves 8)

8 cups of watermelon cubed and blended

4 ounces fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)

1 cup Gin

1 cup thin sliced cucumber

1 TBLS Agave or honey

1/2 cup mint leaves

1 cup tonic water (optional)

Cut and blend up your watermelon.  Cut and squeeze your limes.  I double squeeze mine.  Place in the juicer skin down, squeeze.  Then fold over and squeeze again. Add in the remaining ingredients of Gin, lime, honey, cucumber, and mint. You can add the tonic at this point if you are ready to serve.  If not serving immediately hold off until you are.  You don't want the bubbles to fade away. 

    You can make your pitcher look extra beautiful by including the cucumber and mint directly in there.  I would also add lime slices and watermelon slices for a little extra flare in the cup.  I lined my cup with the cucumber and placed a small sliver of watermelon at the bottom of the glass.  You can "decorate" your glass however you desire.  

    Your friends and family will thank you for creating this drink for any occasion.  It's like summer in a glass.  As always please drink responsible and have a designated driver. Cheers!

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Sparkling Cucumber Mint Gin

 

    We have another great refreshing summer drink for you to enjoy, using two of the most prolific items to be grown in summer.  Cucumber and mint!  Together they make great combination of flavors that are simply refreshing in this months herb infused cocktail from The Oaks bed and breakfast.  

    Simple to make yet refreshing to drink.  The use of Gin as the alcohol and the sparkling water are the perfect combination to quench your thirst on these hot Texas summer days.  The mint simple syrup ads a touch of sweetness that brings out the flavor of the mint throughout the drink.  We did make this one ourselves from the mint in the garden, so we know you can too.

    I'm sure there are easier ways to slice the cucumber very thinly, so if you figure that out let me know.  We just used a knife and made the cuts as thin as possible.  The use of a Collins glass makes the cucumber stand out, when lined against the glass.  

    Here is what we did to put this drink together. 

    Sparkling Cucumber Mint Gin

1 ounce lime juice

1 ounce mint simple syrup

2 ounce gin

3-4 ounce of sparking water of choice

Line your glass with thin sliced cucumber. Pour all of the liquid into a glass and stir to mix the flavors.  Top off the glass with ice.  Garnish with mint. 

    That's all there is to this months cocktail.  A very easy drink to mix as well as enjoy.  Grab those cucumbers slice them then and mix up some drinks for your next get together.  Of course you can always enjoy this months cocktail at the Tipsy Oak Lounge any Thursday - Saturday from 4-8 pm.  We will be more than happy to mix this drink for your enjoyment.  

    As always please drink responsibly and have a designated driver.  Until next months cocktail, Cheers!

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Irish Maid

 

    To help with the St. Patrick's Day celebrations we are sharing a cocktail recipe from our friends at Teeling Irish Whiskey.  If you remember we visited their distillery while in Ireland last year and really enjoyed the tour and tasting at the end of the tour.  We wanted to bring back their whiskey in our cocktail this month to help celebrate the day.  

    Teeling's shared this recipe for the Irish Maid from a local bar named the Dead Rabbit, and creator Jack McGarry. We added in the addition mint, since it is an herb infused cocktail.  I thought about dill but felt that would not be the best flavor combination with the St. Germain.  We love St. Germain, and would use it almost every cocktail if we could but alas we much change it up.  The elderberry liquor is just so pleasant to drink or mix.  

    Irish Maid

2 ounces Teeling Small Back Irish Whiskey

3/4 ounces Lemon Juice

3/4 ounce Simple Syrup

1/2 ounce St. Germain

2 Cucumber Slices

4-5 Mint leaves

    Muddle the cucumber and mint leaves in the bottom of a shaker cup.  Add all the remaining ingredients.  Shake and strain into a glass over ice.  Garnish with a cucumber slice and mint. Enjoy!

    This drink is simple to make and fantastic to enjoy.  Each of my taste testers wanted another glass, to enjoy. Make this drink for your friends and they might never leave.  Be sure to check out our video on YouTube and let us know what you think.   

    We hope you enjoy this drink, since it is quick and refreshing.  This is a single served option, adjust for larger batches for more drinks.  As always please drink responsibly, have a designated driver.  We hope you enjoy the Irish Maid this St. Patrick's Day. Slainte!