Artemesia Ginger Rogers Cocktail

Just in time for the heat wave - a truly refreshing and delicious cocktail!

The Ginger Rogers is a classic cocktail, and after sampling one at Absinthe in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago, I decided to adapt it for use with my organic liqueurs. There's only one problem with this cocktail - stopping at one!

Last night we had an important discussion; which is better, a classic gin and tonic, or a Ginger Rogers? My father-in-law and I agreed that Ginger Rogers is our gal.

Artemesia Ginger Rogers Cocktail

1 large sprig fresh mint - at least 8 or 9 leaves
3/4 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 ounces Artemesia Organic Ginger Liqueur
1 1/2 ounces gin
Best quality ginger beer/ale, such as Cock and Bull,  Bruce Cost's, Reed's, etc.

Put the mint leaves in the bottom of an old fashioned or large drinking glass. Add the lime juice, and using a muddler or a wooden spoon, muddle (pound) the mint leaves until they are well bruised and release their minty goodness into the lime juice.

Fill the glass with ice cubes, then add the rest of the ingredients. Stir. Serve with a straw. Optional garnish: a mint sprig and a lime wedge.

Walnut Liqueur

A couple of weeks ago I was standing in line at our outstanding grocery store, West Berkeley Bowl, paying for my stuff. "Nosy-parker" that I am, I glanced back at the stuff the man in line behind me was piling up onto the counter; bottle after bottle of French wine. I am frequently asked at the check-out counter if I am planning a big party, or if I am a caterer. Naw, we just enjoy wine with our dinner, and we HATE to run low on any varietals; Joel starts getting nervous when he does inventory and finds that there's only one bottle left in a certain category. So I took great pleasure in seeing someone else buy a nice healthy supply, and naturally, when I noticed that all the bottles consisted of only two different labels, I had a feeling there might be a hot wine tip in the offing! I made inquiries; yes, they were pretty good, and a decent price ($8.99 a bottle) but, he said "we will be using them to make walnut liqueur, so the taste is not so important."

Wow. "You're making Vin de Noix?" I said with surprise and pleasure. Yes, friends, kismet had placed me in line right next to one of the few other people in town likely to be making walnut liqueur on the feast day of Jean Baptiste, and the Syrah and the accent clued me in that he was making the French Vin de Noix, rather than the Italian Nocino, or Croatian Orahovica. Because, of course, I make walnut liqueur in all three styles!

Well, you can imagine he was equally surprised that I understood right away what he was talking about. I asked if he was planning on picking the walnuts in Berkeley (no, they were going to Brentwood) and we discussed the fact that Brentwood walnuts should be ready earlier than those in Berkeley; I like to pick my Berkeley nuts on the fourth of July. And suddenly it came to me: this man probably had a family recipe, and perhaps he would share it!

Yes, and yes, to both questions; he was using a recette from his Tante. He took down my e-mail address in his iphone, and followed up with his recipes just days later, bless his heart.

A little background: Most European countries make some sort of liqueur out of green (English) walnuts; it is traditional to pick them on June 24th, which is the feast day of St. John the Baptist. Central Valley walnuts are ready a little earlier, and Berkeley walnuts a little later. The walnuts should be fully formed, but soft enough to pierce with a needle. When cut open, they are green all the way through, but with fully-formed, liquid-filled kernels. Interestingly, one uses the whole nut, outer skin and all. They have an intriguing, aromatic aroma.

The Neapolitan recipe shared with me by an Italian acquaintance, Sebastiano Scarampi, included this description on picking the walnuts: "Have young virgins pick, preferably in the morning of June 24th while still slightly covered by dew, as the dew of that particular night is considered magical and with beneficial medicinal powers."

Hmmm. Not only does Johanna prefer to sleep in, but it seems like the morning dew of Berkeley would NOT contain beneficial medicinal powers, so I think I will continue to pick mine during regular daylight hours the weekend of the fourth of July, from the top of an overturned bucket, and then wash them well.....


Vin de Noix

Recipes from Frederic Thouvenin

A la Jean-Claude Vallier

32 noix
1 L d’eau de vie
1 gousse de vanille ou 1/4 de citron

Macérer 2 mois
Filtrer
5 L de vin + 1 kg de sucre
remuer tous les matins pendant 10 jours
mettre en bouteilles


A la Christine

25 noix coupées en 4
1 L d’eau de vie
Mélanger pendant 8 jours
3 L de vin rouge
2 L de vin blanc
1 kg 1/2 de sucre
1 bâton de vanille
Ecorces de 6 oranges passées au four pendant 10min
Ajouter tout cela (éventuellement en enlevant les noix)
Laisser macérer pendant 45 jours.


A la Jean-Claude Vallier

32 Nuts
1 Liter of eau de vie, brandy, marc or vodka
1 vanilla bean or 1 / 4 lemon

Macerate 2 months
Filter
5 L of wine + 1 kg sugar
stir every morning for 10 days
to bottle


A la Christine

25 nuts cut into 4
1 L of eau de vie, brandy, marc or vodka
Let mix stand for 8 days

Add:
3 L of red wine
2 liters white wine
1 kg 1 / 2 sugar
1 vanilla bean
Peels of 6 oranges dried in the oven for 10min
Add all this, and let macerate for 45 days.
Filter



1. Pick the walnuts in late June when the walnuts are well formed, but can still be pierced with a needle. Place all of the ingredients in an 8 quart (8 liter) non-reactive container with a lid. of glass or ceramic. Store in a cool dark place for 6 to 8 weeks shaking occasionally.

2. Strain through cheesecloth into a bowl. Taste, and adjust the sugar if you want the drink to be sweeter. Bottle and store in a cool dark place until the cold weather. Some people store for 3 to 6 months before drinking, to allow the flavors to balance.


Nocino

This recipe was shared with me by the Contessa Francesca Cinelli Stratton of the Tenuta Spannocchia

1 liter wine - red or white
20 green walnuts, quartered
1 - peel of lemon
8 - cloves
2 cm cinnamon stick
1 small spoon semi di carvi (caraway seeds)
1 cima (top of) di achillea mille foglie (common yarrow)

Put all together for 3 months in the sun.

Filter, and for every liter of liquid add 300-350 gr. alcool puro, and 300 gr of zucchero.


Christine's notes: This Nocino recipe really needs to mellow for at least 6 months before drinking, and improves with age.



Orahovica
(Croatian Walnut Liqueur)
This recipe comes from Jack Mariani, of the Mariani Nut Company in Winters, CA, who got it from his grandmother, Lukra Mariani.

8 whole unripe walnuts
1 quart vodka
4 lemon leaves
4  orange leaves
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Wash and grind the whole walnuts, including the hulls.  Combine with the remaining ingredients in a glass or ceramic jar with a tightly fitting lid.  Let stand in the sun for 40 days and nights.  Strain, then decant into bottles.  This liqueur is good right away, but improves and mellows with age.

Notes on how to find walnuts: If you live in Berkeley, there are trees growing all over town; the squirrels are very good horticulturalists. If you spot one, ask if you can pick some in exchange for some liqueur! If you don't have easy access to them, many walnut growers in the Central Valley will pick and ship them to you on the appropriate day for super cheap.  As described above, in Europe you would pick the walnuts on June 24th, in hot climates like California's Central Valley, a little earlier.  In cool climates like the Bay Area, a little later.

"Drink Me!" Artemesia Cocktail: Fit to be Thaied

The inspiration for this new cocktail came to me while I was cross-country skiing. I kept thinking about my ginger liqueur, and Thai coconut soup - coconut milk, ginger, lime juice...... And about the recent impulse purchase I'd made at the Farmer's Market from the nice young men of Coracao chocolate - coconut sugar! They explained to me how coconut sugar was nectar extracted from the coconut blossom, then cooked down and dried, that it's low on the glycemic index, and easily dissolved. It has a texture and flavor that's reminiscent of maple sugar; crumbly, brown, faintly redolent of coconut. They use it in their raw, organic chocolates and other treats. (Coconut blondie bar - off the hook!)

The first night I finally put it all together - oh, baby. This is GOOD. It's so good I've forgotten to take pictures of it all three times I've made it. The pictures will just have to wait......

Fit to be Thaied

Makes one large or two small cocktails

2 1/2 jiggers (3 3/4 ounces) Artemesia Organic Ginger Liqueur
1 jigger (1 1/2 ounces) fresh-squeezed organic lime juice
1 jigger (1 1/2 ounces) organic unsweetened coconut milk (I like Native Forest)
2 tsp coconut sugar

Additional coconut sugar for rimming your cocktail glass, on a small plate


Put all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, and stir to dissolve the sugar and combine well. Take a quick taste once it's well mixed; does it need a little more sugar? Repeat. Now add several ice cubes.

Run a cut lime slice around the rim of your martini glass, then roll the moistened outer edges in the coconut sugar until it sticks.

Now shake shake shake the cocktail shaker, counting to "20 Mississippi." Strain into your glass. Try not to chug it down. Yeah, this is chick drink; that's okay once in a while.


Note: Coconut sugar is available at natural food stores, and by mail order through a number of stores, including Amazon.

"Drink Me!" Artemesia Cocktail Hour: Ginger Twist

Almost immediately after letting friends know that I had posted my new Grapefruit Margarita recipe, a desperate plea came in from my friend Ginger: "For the love of God, Woman! The future of humanity depends on your designing a new cocktail using the Artemesia Ginger Liqueur - Stat!" At least I think that's how she put it... perhaps the exact wording escapes me.....

Well, with a challenge like that before me, I certainly had no choice - none whatsoever - as to what I'd be doing next. I fell asleep that night thinking about what tastes great with ginger; immediately came the thought - ginger and lemon! And I researched proportions, and sampled and tinkered, and served the results to family and friends. Tirelessly, we all gave it up for the good of humanity. Last night, at last, came the perfection I sought. And here, before you, the results. The Meyer lemon* juice, a common varietal in California backyards, brings a refreshing lemon lift, tempered by its characteristic sweet notes, while the ginger liqueur gives a pleasing, long finish with warmth that you feel all the way down.


Artemesia Ginger Twist

Makes two cocktails

2 1/2 ounces Artemesia Ginger Liqueur
1 1/2 ounces Artemesia Limoncello
1 ounce vodka
1 ounce Meyer Lemon Juice*


Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add ice, and shake until it's really cold; I like to count to about "20 Mississippi." Pour, garnish with an optional lemon twist, and enjoy!


*The Meyer lemon is a sweet, thin-skinned California native. Said to be a cross between a tangerine and a lemon, it grows beautifully and prolifically in many a backyard. They are not generally available commercially, and seldom outside of California. Should you not have access, you can ask a California neighbor to share, or a friend to mail some to you. If you need to substitute with another varietal, you may need to adjust the quantity, or add a little sweetener.

"Drink Me!" Artemesia Cocktail: Grapefruit Margarita

I admit it; I'm obsessed. At this very moment I have Limoncello, Rosemary Meyer Limoncello, Kumquat, Buddha's Hand Citron, Blood Orange, Ginger, Bergamot Citron, and Oro Blanco Grapefruit liqueurs infusing in my basement. I also have finished batches of Walnut liqueurs; Nocino and Orahovica (the Vin de Noix is gone) Chocolate, more Buddha's Hand Citron, and "Brad and Darryl's" Grapefruit liqueurs. I call my little obsession "Artemesia;" I guess giving it a name says something, eh? I try to grow as much of the fruit as possible, which is challenging, as our entire lot, including the 1,200 square feet occupied by our house, is about 1/32nd of an acre. So far, I have crammed in a lime tree (the Bearss variety grows really well here in Berkeley, and yes, that really is how you spell it) a Buddha's Hand Citron (because you just can't buy them organic) and newly planted Fuyu Persimmon, Blenheim Apricot, Meiwa Kumquat, and Feminello Santa Teresa Lemon trees (because the Feminello Santa Teresa is the rare sub-cultivar grown in Sorrento and on the Amalfi Coast for Limoncello.)

Since my obsession far outstrips my available land, last year I started harvesting from what I have dubbed "NIMBY" fruit trees; "Not In My Back Yard." Nina lets me gather her Meyer Lemons, Bob lets me pick his mystery lemons (Eureka or Lisbon? Don't know...) neighbors let me gather green walnuts from a street tree growing in a secret cul de sac, and Brad and Darryl invited me to pick their grapefruits - another unknown varietal. They have a big old tree, with lots of fruit...perhaps I did get a little carried away...

Anyway, it's all quite delicious on its own, but sometimes a gal wants a cocktail, and I love a good Margarita. A Margarita is typically made from tequila, fresh lime juice, and triple sec, in a myriad of proportional possibilities; 2:2:1, 3:2:1, 1:1:1... Triple Sec is a liqueur flavored with three different types of oranges; I have yet to find one that I really like - mostly they taste kind of, well - cheap. Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Citronge all make decent substitutes. After experimenting, ahem, quite a bit, I decided that I like 3:2:1, i.e. 3 parts tequila, two parts fresh lime juice, 1 part orange liqueur.

Of course, I got to thinking.... why orange? Why not some other citrus? Obviously, I have a number of fine options available to me. Grapefruit "Brad and Darryl" immediately came to mind; assertive, clean - and completely different from lime. So I decided to start there, and, well, yum! (Otherwise, you wouldn't be hearing about it, right? I will only share recipes which are worthy of the ages here in this blog. Should I waste your precious time describing disappointing results from a new recipe? I think not!) So get out your cocktail shakers, and let's get this party started!


Artemesia Grapefruit Margarita

Makes 1 big or 2 smallish drinks; make each pour a generous one if you want bigger drinks

3 ounces Tequila (Your choice)
2 ounces fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 ounce Grapefruit "Brad and Darryl" liqueur
1/2 tsp or so agave nectar or sugar, to taste

Squeeze your limes; you will need from 1-4 of them, depending on how juicy they are. Put a little kosher salt on a plate. Measure everything and pour the ingredients into your cocktail shaker. Add a little additional sweetener, stir it up and taste it; adjust as needed. Using any leftover lime juice, smear some lightly on the outside of the rim of your chosen glass(es)- I use Martini glasses - and roll the outer rim in the salt. Add a few ice cubes to the cocktail shaker, put on the lid, and shake away until it feels really cold; I usually count to "20 Mississippi." While you're shaking, make sure to hold the lids on! Now take off the cap and pour out every delicious drop.

Cheers!

p.s. If you would like some Grapefruit "Brad and Darryl," drop me a line!