Pink Mojito Granita

Mojitos are always irresistible; this one is non- alcoholic and frozen, which makes it the best cool down drink after a run through the countryside.
The original recipe will give you a granita that looks like a real mojito. If you want it pink like in the picture above, just before serving throw it into your blender with a couple of spoons of a berry sorbet.

Mojito Granita
(original recipe by David Lebovitz)

2 1/2 cups (625ml) water
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
2 limes
1 cup (40g) lightly packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup (125ml) freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 6 limes)
3 tablespoons (45ml) white rum (leave out the rum for the non-alcoholic version)


Mix water, sugar and the grated zest of 2 limes in a saucepan. Cook the mixture until the sugar is dissolved. Reserve 5 of the mint leaves, add the remaining mint to the saucepan and remove from the heat. Let cool to room temperature.
Once cool strain the mixture in the container you plan to freeze the granita, pressing firmly on the leaves to extract the flavourful liquid. Discard the mint leaves. Stir in the lime juice and, optionally, the rum, then finely chop the reserved mint leaves and add them as well.
How to freeze a granita you find in my recipe for granita de caffé.

Hallo Summer? Is it you?

finally outdoor.... fighting the Armada of mosquitos with a campfire

Chris

salad with lettuce, beetroots, beetroot stems, cucumber and burrata

cucumber flavoured prosecco

my box tree nursery

a cool watchband

crabs grilled on the campfire

last day of crazy October

Never before summer and winter met so closely at the end of October!

Shanghai/Capetown inspired dinner

Shanghai: mint/rice noodle rolls
Capetown: mood and temperature


Cook rice noodles, spread on Nori sheets, add fresh mint leaves.  Roll and cool down.
For the dip sauce mix white vinegar, salt, sugar and hot chilli paste.
Serve chilled and enjoy the summer night!

garden games

summer impressions

Dippelsdorfer Teich

Kunstschmiede Zschiesche, Pillnitz

Kollektion Kamo, Gaustritz

Marcolini Garden, Moritzburg

Dresden Loschwitz

Marcolini Haus, Moritzburg

Julie's clafouti

A clafouti is a great summer cake. It has no crumbly, greasy "floor", but is juicy and moist and fruity and still doesn't fall apart. Julie, originally from France, to be precise la Bretagne, makes the best clafouti I have ever tried. Of course I had to get the recipe and her permission to pass it on to my dear readers!

Julie's clafouti


150g flour
4 eggs
80-100g sugar
80g melted butter
1/2l lukewarm milk

300g fruit (cherries, plums, blueberries....)

Butter your baking dish.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Blend eggs and sugar.
Add melted butter, flour, milk in that order.
Spread out fruit on the baking dish.
Pour the batter over the fruit.
Bake for approx. 35mins.
Dust with powdered sugar.

Serve cold or warm.

Sunday afternoon

Nancy's pink coach house

With  the weather all of a sudden sunny(?!?) and the temperature over 25°C (???!?) all productive behaviour was forgotten, instead our innermost primitive instincts took over: like sleepwalkers we dragged the table and chairs onto the lawn and decorated everything in pink and with flowers, only regaining control over our consciousness when happily seated in said chairs absorbing the warmth.

Have a relaxing Sunday!