mango mojito

i think that end of summer food rut i was talking about just ended. i finally made it to the saturday farmer’s market held in the space of two city blocks in downtown near portland state university. i usually go a few times a year but the amount of people herded into the space is less than desirable.

but there is so much beautiful and cheap produce! i bought an eggplant, a giant red bell pepper, and a couple poblano peppers for 3 dollars. i originally went because i wanted to get pickling cucumbers  but ended up buying a bunch of produce i had no plans for but it was so cheap and colorful and the basil smelled so good.. i couldn’t help myself.

this week i made some delicious and local dinners. you will read about those soon. i promise. but right now i have something so much better. i don’t know about your part of the country but here in oregon we are hanging onto summer. it’s almost 8pm here and its 75 degrees! hang on summer, hang on as long as you can.

so obviously warm late summer (technically fall) nights call for cocktails. because i’m not ready for cooler weather drinks i embraced the mojito tonight. at the store i intended on buying passionfruit puree to add some natural sweetness and extra flavor to the traditional mojito. well they didn’t have any but as i was walking to the register i was stopped by a perfectly ripe mango. done. here is your weekend cocktail.

cilantro margarita

from the posts since i’ve been back from vacation you’d assume that all i did was drink in alaska. and while that may have quite a bit of truth to it, i assure you there was plenty of other things going on that kept me occupied.

the last day i was in town i invited some folks over for margaritas, chips, and salsa. to make things easier and assure i wouldn’t be making someone a drink every two minutes i just made this mix. i opted to pour the tequila in with the mixer but you can keep them separate so that guests can choose their own drink strength.

this recipe is inspired from a little bar called the side street that routinely has the most delicious cocktail recipes and infused liquors in portland (in my opinion). they use hot pepper (chili, not black) infused tequila that you can find at most liquor stores and muddle the cilantro, but i was trying to eliminate the chunks that clog up your straw and streamline the process here.

lavender-mint vodka lemonade

hello online world! i’m back from alaska! it was a lovely mini-vacation (a long weekend, really) filled with smokey bars, alaskan summer ale, salmon dip, friends, blueberries, sourdough pancakes, face paint.. all that good stuff.

i brought back 4 or 5 pounds of smoked salmon, 6 jars of salmonberry and blueberry jam, and part of my parent’s sourdough starter that they’ve had for over 30 years. (the folks who passed it along to them said that it was over 100 years at that point, but who knows?)

but i realized halfway through that i wasn’t taking pictures of anything we were cooking. this was the first recipe i captured and you’re lucky i did. it’s so refreshing (it would have been more appropriate in 100 degree oregon rather than 60 degree alaska, but oh well!) and the mint and lavender compliment each other perfectly, neither becoming too overwhelming. best of all, its easy to make, even after you have had a few.

missonary’s downfall: boozy pineapple mint slushie

i was served this a few weeks ago at the most wonderfully hosted tiki party. every time your glass was almost empty the bartender/host would emerge from the kitchen with a new concoction in hand for you to try. this was by far the hit of the party, unless you count the fries that came out of their deep frier as we were all ready to journey home.

this drink has just a hint of pineapple and is very minty. i think a little coconut cream would do wonders for this cocktail and i plan on trying it next time i make this.

because it isn’t a super icy slushie, it is meant to be drank in small cups (misleading photo here) so all your ice doesn’t melt when you’re only halfway done.

bloody mary mix, for brunch

i have been hooked on bloody marys for the past month. i think its mostly the olives that you get to eat with it when you order at the bar, but its like a mini salad filled with booze.

this recipe is meant for a brunch potluck, where there are lemon wedges and hot sauce and pepper shakers around for people to tweak the recipe to their liking. while you may like it spicy, your guests might not, so don’t give everyone in your house heartburn.