What do you get when you puree a delicious, succulent peach and marry it with a lovely dry Prosecco? A glorious tasting Fresh Peach Bellini, the perfect complement to a warm summer evening. We kept our puree a bit thick (not unlike the consistency of baby food – in fact, the puree itself would make great baby food!) as we wanted to retain all the sweet and juicy flavors of the fruit. The result was an almost smoothie-like beverage (for an adult, that is!). Frothy and refreshing! Just another great way to use all those scrumptious peaches that are now in season.

Other tasty peach recipes to tickle the tongue:

Dana McCauley’s Food Blog: Peach and Tomato Salad
Julie Jam’s Delicious Summer Peach Crisp
Whisk’s Honey-Peach Ice Cream
Cafe Fernando’s Peach Tart With Almonds and Maple Syrup
Patty’s Pantry Peach Salsa

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I’d written before about The 44 after being inspired by a March 2008 article about the drink in Saveur. But soon after we packed it up and moved back to Seattle, so I never actually completed the process and thus, had nothing to share with you. Shortly after Christmas – and after our liquor cabinet was depleted from the holiday festivities – I decided to embark on the rum-infusing journey once more and stocked up on the required ingredients.

Let’s take a little trip down “cordial” lane…

The 44 is a popular rum-infused beverage originally made in Madagascar. It gets its name from the process in which its made as well as the number of days it “brews.” In the Madagascan version an orange is pierced forty-four times to allow the juices to release, then forty-four coffee beans are shoved into the slits. The orange is then placed in white rum and set to rest for, you got it, forty-four days.

I decided to make the French version of this drink, called the Quarante Quatre, which calls for forty-four whole cloves in place of the coffee beans. Within days the color of the rum began to darken and the orange and cloves became more fragrant. We left the jar out on the counter to enjoy the changes in coloration and to every-now-and-then open the lid to smell the sweet aromas.

After patiently waiting for forty-four long days we opened the jar and poured ourselves a small cordial.

The Quarante Quatre
This recipe is so good I recommend doubling it, like we did.

1 liter white rum
1 Navel orange
44 whole cloves
44 teaspoons of sugar (optional)

Deeply pierce the orange with a paring knife 44 times. Stuff the cloves into the slits and skin of the orange. Place the orange in a large widemouthed jar (that has a tight seal) and add one liter of white rum. Add 44 teaspoons of sugar, seal and store in a cool dark place for 44 days.

Note: we opted for a non-sugar version and it is still very tasty!

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Centuries ago, along the trade route known as the Silk Road, merchants from remote and mysterious ports such as Turkey, India, and China, traded exotic silks and priceless spices for jewels and gold. One of the most coveted items was tea.

Like wine, tea reflects the region where it was grown. It can be mild and delicate or strong and pervasive. Blending tea is an art that ensures the integrity and harmony of the plant is enhanced by the ingredients with which it is paired. In some cases, botanicals from around the world are carefully selected and cured, then blended with tea to create a superior tea experience.

One of my favorite teas is a small globe of green tea leaves hand-tied around an amaranth flower. When steeped in water you watch as the flower opens and blooms, revealing a beautiful pink blossom. The blossom symbolizes happiness and everlasting love.

I imagine that long ago this tea would have fetched a pretty penny along the Silk Road.

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Barnaby whipped up this refreshing cocktail from the most beautiful crimson tomatoes we found at the farmer’s market. They’re so lovely, their color so perfect, they shine like they’re in a beauty pageant. “Me, me, pick me!” they seem to shout.

And, mmm…mmm…are they juicy! Perfect for flavoring a summer-fresh cocktail.

By using the strained juice of a plump tomato you get the wonderful, tasty essence of the fruit.

Fresh Tomato Martini

2 – 2 1/2 jiggers of fresh tomato water
1- 1 1/2 jiggers of vodka
Ice

In a blender, puree 2 small tomatoes. Strain the pulp through a fine flour sack cloth or cheesecloth into a bowl, tightening the towel to get as much juice as possible.

Fill a martini shaker 3/4 of the way with ice. Add the vodka and the fresh tomato juice, and shake well. Strain over a martini glass and serve immediately.

1 serving.

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Hard cider is a wonderful, bubbly and crisp drink with growing popularity in the United States. Made by

fermenting fruit juice or cider, there is a whole new crop of high quality ciders coming on the market. Not yet what you could call a “craze,” cider is still somehow reminiscent to me of the microbrew boom that took off in the early 1990’s. The Pacific Northwest is once again leading the nation in developing new brands in this emergent beverage category. Also made in small batches, brewers are combining beer experience with one of the worlds largest apple growing industries in Oregon and Washington.

Though unfamiliar to many Americans today, hard cider was one of the most popular alcoholic beverages here until the mid-1800’s. Check out this interesting article on the demise of cider in America. Hard cider is still quite popular in the U.K., available in many pubs, which is where I first had it on tap about 6 years ago. Known as Sidra in Spain, it’s an inexpensive alternative to champagne often drunk at celebrations.

With alcohol content similar to beer, ciders range from sweet to quite dry. While some producers are experimenting with other fruits, including pears, I’m really enjoying the ones made from different heirloom varieties of apple. Similar to a fine sparkling wine, hard cider pairs well with cheese or a roast of pork.

Our newest discovery is from Oregon, with the wonderfully itinerant name “Wandering Aengus Ciderworks.”

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Hi, my name is Sheri and I’m a DRY Soda-aholic. There, I said it. I’m not ashamed of it. If you tasted these you would be addicted too.

DRY Soda Co. is a Seattle-based company that produces all-natural sodas. Really, they are non-alcoholic so you won’t have to worry about losing your job and living in your car if you, too, become addicted. These are not your ordinary sodas. They are ever-so-lightly sweetened with pure cane sugar and are flavored with the extracts of fruit or herbs. Their current tantalizing yet subtle flavors are lavender, rhubarb, kumquat and lemongrass. I honestly cannot tell you which is my favorite as they are all divine. So I just keep drinking more.

Still need inspiration? Here are some of DRY Soda staff’s favorite pairings:

Kumquat DRY with oysters
Lavender DRY and chocolate lava cake
Lemongrass DRY with Thai curry
Rhubarb DRY and butternut squash

What soda company suggests giving “yourself home turndown service with Lavender DRY and a chocolate square before bed” or, creating “your own mini-spa experience at home with DRY Soda and a favorite CD, candle or bath fizz”? Sounds good to me. I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but off I go to soak in the tub with my soda!

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