Springy Fruity Elixir. 100 Days of Recipes: Day 2

April has somewhat snuck up on me. The winter was weird, so now things are blooming all over the place, it was sunny and 70 yesterday, but because it's still before Mother's Day, and because it's Asheville, there might be snow at the end of the week.

Today I'll take inspiration from my Monthly Planner, and take a moment to remember all those things to toast - good family, good friends, good dogs, mostly good cats, good colleagues, clients, and cohorts, doing work I love, and always a reason to see and find gratitude.

100 Day Challenge, Day 2

Springy Fruity Elixir

A refreshing way to drink water, and avoid sugary sodas or juices. Of course, make what ever variations you like, depending on what you have on hand.

Per serving:

1 can Soda water, or unsweetened lemon or lime seltzer
2-3 strawberries, cleaned and tops removed
3-4 raspberries, rinsed
4-5 mint leaves, thinly sliced
2 basil leaves, thinly sliced
Juice of 1/4 lemon slice (optional, if you don't use a lemon seltzer)

In the bottom of a tumbler, muddle the berries with the mint and basil leaves. Squeeze lemon juice into glass, then pour over soda water. Add ice if desired.

I also do a version of this with non-carbonated water, and make larger batches in a bottle that goes with me to the studio. I like to put sections of citrus orange/grapefruit/lemon in those for added flavor.* The more it chills in the fridge, the more the fruit flavors diffuse into the water, and when you drink it you'll get the occasional fruity/minty/herby treat!

*the best way to cup up your citrus for these bevvies, or for salads, is to supreme them. If you're not familiar with that, you can learn how by watching this video!

Moroccan Style Spice Blend. 100 Day Challenge, Day 1

It's been an ongoing frustration for me that my sweet little recipe blog has fallen into complete disrepair, barely offering ideas, much less recipes, for months at a time. I've been watching other artists embrace the #100DayChallenge, and I've been thinking about joining it - maybe posting some work in progress in the studio, following a kiln load from wet clay to glaze firing. That can be accomplished well within 100 Days, but it might be a nice starting point. Then I happened upon my poor recipe blog, and decided this challenge might just perk up the feed. 

So here we go:

100 Day Challenge, Day 1

Spice Blend for Moroccan Style Seasoning

I use some form of this blend to marinate meats before searing and slow cooking, and for seasoning roasted vegetables. The variations are endless depending on your own tastes and what you may or may not have in the cupboard. 

Mix it up, put it in a jar with a good-fitting lid, and sprinkle liberally on anything that wants a little kick in flavor. If you're seasoning vegetables to roast, this blend is great on sweet potatoes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and winter squashes. I'll save the Lamb Tagine recipe for another post! 

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Moroccan Spiced Roasted Sweet Potatoes
(with Lamb Tagine over Cauliflower Couscous)

Homemade Guest Series

Beginning in April, we will be featuring regular guest posts from Asheville-area chefs and avid cooks. They will be sharing a little of their story, along with a delicious 'homemade' recipe that will be prepared and/or plated up on/in some beautiful handmade pottery. 

Our guests will be using seasonal, local ingredients, so as we follow the series through Spring and Summer, you'll get a thorough taste of the local bounty.

Here's another teaser of sorts - another look at one of the serving bowls in my hasty and poorly taken image in the last post. It looks a bit better now, but just wait until you see what one of our guest bloggers puts inside - stay tuned!!