recipe

Pesto!

Image ~ ~ cleansedpalate ~ 4 Comments

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Pesto, in process [this batch needs more mincing]. I like to chop and mince and crush all of my ingredients by hand rather than in a food processor. Sure, it is faster in a processor, but doing it by hand adds an extra dose of my favorite ingredient: Love! 😉
Pesto. One of those things that just screams “Summer!!” It is exciting when my basil over-produces this time of year so I have an excuse make it, both for eating now and to go in the freezer when I need a dose of summer later in the year.

The main ingredient, basil, is Continue reading →

Lemon-Basil Simple Syrup

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The finished product: Lemon-Basil Simple Syrup…great in iced tea, lemonade, or even in cocktails!

Simple syrup is something I usually keep on hand in my fridge. It’s easy to make – simple, really 😉 – and stores for quite some time. It never lasts long enough for me to determine just how long; however, it has kept for a least 2 weeks by my records.

I especially like to keep it on hand in the summer. Continue reading →

Brandied Cherries – They’re a Fine Thing!

~ cleansedpalate ~ 9 Comments

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Those fluorescent red blobs garnishing many a drink may look pretty, but they lack so much in the way of flavor. I’ve been seeking a cherry worthy of garnishing my drinks for ages and have concluded it’s time to make my own. I came across this recipe a couple of years ago after cherry season had passed. And last year…well, let’s just say that last year during prime cherry season it was all I could do to find time to pit and freeze the ones I did buy.

So here I am now, a couple of years Continue reading →

Thanksgiving in July!

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Why am I writing about Thanksgiving in the month of July? It is almost 6 months from now. I write because – if it was possible – my entire year would revolve around Thanksgiving. It is hands down my favorite holiday of the year. It is a time to give thanks rather than gifts. A time to celebrate our relationships with family and friends. And of course there is food involved. This is the one time of year when I go a tad [ahem] overboard on the cooking front. That is, if you consider 14 pies, turkey 3 ways (roasted, smoked and fried), a ton of sides, and an entire menu of vegan options thrown in for good measure to be overboard. It’s all Love to me!

Cherries. This is what brings me to Continue reading →