Recipes: Herbaceous Happy Hour Drinks & Snacks

This week's happy hour, if I do say so myself, was a huge hit. Here's the menu:

Drinks:
Lemon-Lavender Vodka Tonics (lavender from the garden)
Pimm's Cup
Lemon Balm Iced Green Gea (lemon balm from garden)

Food:
Herby Goat Cheese Spread (oregano, rosemary, thyme and sage from the garden)
No Recipe Bruschetta topping (tomatoes from garden & CSA and basil from CSA)
No Recipe Tapenade (purple basil from garden & garlic from CSA)
(with crackers & toasted baguette)
Garlic Roasted Blue Potatoes with Garlic Mayo (blue potatoes & garlic from CSA)


Recipes:

Lemon-Lavender Vodka Tonic
3 springs of lavender
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water

vodka
tonic water
lemon

-Bring water, lavender and sugar to a boil & dissolve sugar. Cook on low for 5 minutes or until syrup smells heavily of lavender. Remove lavender and cool syrup overnight.
-For a drink, pour 1 shot of vodka and 1/2 shot of lavender syrup over ice. Top off with tonic water and add a squeeze of lemon. Adjust syrup/lemon/vodka to taste.

Pitcher of Pimm's Cup
1/2 English cucumber, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
2 c Pimm's No. 1
1.5 cup lemonade
1.5 cup ginger ale

-Put lemon & cucumber in a pitcher. Add Pimm's No. 1 and let marinate at least 6 hours. Better if longer, though, longer.
-Add the rest of the ingredients just before serving. If desired, add a "fortifying" shot (or two! or more!) of gin!

Lemon Balm Iced Green Tea
Use the caffeinated mint tea recipe, except substitute lemon balm for the mint & green tea bags for the black tea bags.

Herby Goat Cheese Spread
3 Tbsp of assorted fresh herbs (No basil, though. I used thyme, rosemary, sage and oregano), finely minced
4 oz log of goat cheese
2 oz cream cheese
2 Tbsp plain yogurt

-Whip goat cheese and cream cheese together. Add herbs.
-Add yogurt, one tablespoon at a time until mixture is easily spreadable (can use more yogurt if necessary)

No Recipe Tapenade
Olives
Basil
Garlic
Anchovies, optional
Capers, optional

-In a food processor, add whatever quantities of above makes you happy (or whatever quantities you have on hand). I like using purple basil and using only 1 clove of garlic!

No Recipe Bruschetta Topping
Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Basil, chopped
olive oil
balsamic vinegar

-Add whatever quantities of above makes you happy!

Garlic Roasted Blue Potatoes with Garlic Mayo
Blue (or white) potatoes, diced
garlic powder (yes, powder. small pieces of garlic tend to burn on me in the oven)
generous amount of canola oil

1/4 cup mayo
1 large clove of garlic, minced

-Mix the mayo & garlic. Let sit for at least an hour. Best if overnight.
-Toss your diced potatoes in canola oil and give several dashes of garlic powder.
-Preheat oven to 475* and roast for 20 minutes or until done (time depends on how much you're putting in your oven & how big your pieces are)

Enjoy!