Rosemary Nectarine Sparkling Cocktail

Herb-infused simple syrup is an easy way to make a cocktail special, adding flavor and freshness to the original mix in this Rosemary Nectarine Cocktail.

Every summer I go for what I call the Annual Mashing. I lost one precious maternal aunt to breast cancer and my paternal grandmother was a survivor so I know there is potential from both sides. If you are my friend on Facebook, you’ll know that I always post a message when I go, reminding everyone to make an appointment too. If only one person takes heed and gets a mammography in time to catch something before it gets bigger and less treatable, then the message is worth sharing. (In case you weren’t paying attention, here’s my public service announcement: Make your appointment NOW. Your family will thank you.)

One upside of the Annual Mashing is the nice magazines in the waiting room. This year I thumbed through a beautiful issue of Saveur while I waited for my turn and came across an article on a peach farmer in California, complete with recipes using fresh peaches. I couldn’t wait to get home to try the sparkling cocktail. And, after the mammogram, I figured I deserved it!

This week Sunday Supper is sharing picnic food and this lovely cocktail is perfect for serving outdoors. You make up the rosemary simple syrup and nectarine puree and transport them in clean jars in a cooler with the bubbly, mixing each glass as needed. Many thanks to our host Jane from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner and Heather from girlichef for her behind-the-scenes help.

Ingredients
For the simple syrup:
4 sprigs rosemary
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

For the nectarine puree:
2 medium nectarines
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 bottle (750ml) sparkling wine or Champagne

Method
In a small pot, heat the water, sugar and rosemary sprigs until the sugar completely dissolves and cook for a further few minutes at a low boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.

Once cool, discard the rosemary sprigs and pour the simple syrup into a clean jar. Yield: about 1 1/4 cups or 300ml of rosemary simple syrup.

To make the nectarine puree, simply cut the nectarines up in chunks.

Mash with a hand blender until smooth. You can peel them if you want to but I like the pink shade that the peels add and don’t mind the little bits of peel in my drink.

Pour the puree into a clean jar and add the lemon juice.  Shake to combine. Yield: Just over 1 cup or 250ml nectarine puree.

To serve the cocktail, add 1-2 tablespoons nectarine puree and 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons rosemary simple syrup to each glass.

Top up with chilled cava, sparkling wine or Champagne.

Enjoy!

Are you planning a picnic for Fourth of July or just to celebrate summer? Check out the fabulous list of picnic friendly recipes we are bringing to the Big Virtual Picnic!

Beverages

• Orange Blossom Iced Tea by girlichef
• Red, White, and Blue Sangria by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Rosemary Nectarine Sparkling Cocktail by Food Lust People Love
• Best Picnic Wines by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Appetizers

• Baked Garlic Parmesan Wings by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls by Daily Dish Recipes
• Peppadew Dip by Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Savory Red, White, and Bleu Truffles by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Mains

• Asparagus and Cheddar Quiche by Mess Makes Food
• London Broil with Caramelized Red Onions by Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Stilton Potato and Stilton Pies by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Waffle Batter Fried Chicken Tenders with Maple Mustard Dipping Sauce by Kudos Kitchen by Renee

Sides

• Mushroom and Gruyere Cheesecake by Peaceful Cooking
• Scotch Eggs by Small Wallet, Big Appetite

Salads

• Caprese Pasta Salad by La Bella Vita Cucina
• Farro & Walnut Salad by Foxes Love Lemons
• Fruit Tortellini Salad by Jelly Toast
• Gluten Free Potato Salad by Gluten Free Crumbley
• Japanese Noodle Salad by Noshing With The Nolands
• Kale and Quinoa Tabbouli by Healthy. Delicious.
• Layered Chicken Salad by Nosh My Way
• Lightened Up Macaroni Salad by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Loaded Potato Salad by Granny's Down Home Sassy Southern Cooking
• Mexican 3 Bean Salad by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Old Fashioned Potato Salad by Life Tastes Good
• Orzo Salad with Kale Pesto by Cooking Chat
• Pizza Pasta Salad by Curious Cuisiniere
• Red, White and Blue Fruit and Cheese Salad by Shockingly Delicious
• Tomato Bean Salad by Family Foodie
• Tuna Noodle Salad by Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos
• Vegetable Salad by Magnolia Days
• Veggie Pasta Salad by Pescetarian Journal
• Watermelon and Feta Salad with Verjus by The Wimpy Vegetarian

Sandwiches and Wraps

• Pan Bagnat by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Panino con la Salamella by Manu's Menu
• Roast Beef Wraps by Cookin' Mimi

Sweets

• Banana Pudding Cheesecake by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Berry Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups {#glutenfree option} by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Cherry Chip Blossom Cupcakes by NinjaBaking.com
• Cherry Pie Crumb Bars by The Girl In the Little Red Kitchen
• Chocolate Chunk Brownies by What Smells So Good?
• Chocolate Syrup Brownies by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Chocolate Zucchini Cake by Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies by Alida's Kitchen
• Flag Cake by Pies and Plots
• Peanut Butter Frosted Brownies by Feed Me, Seymour
• Red, White, and Blue Berry Angel Food Cake Parfaits by Neighborfood
• S'mores Crumb Bars by The Redhead Baker
• Stained Glass Jello with Coconut Milk Panna Cotta by Simply Gourmet
• Strawberry Banana Oat Muffins by Sue's Nutrition Buzz
  

Pin this Rosemary Nectarine Sparkling Cocktail!

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Dubonnet Gin Cocktail and Thank You

Made from French fortified wine marketed under the name Dubonnet and a good London gin,  this refreshing libation is well known for being the favorite tipple of the late Queen Mother and her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. 

Like the queen, this blog has two birthdays. The first one was just a few weeks ago marking the date I created Food Lust People Love as a Tumblr blog. It didn’t take me long to realize that Tumblr, at least in its native form, didn’t work for what I wanted to achieve with this blog so I changed over to Blogger and I added the 12 Tumblr posts all in one day – 24 June 2011, to be precise. So that’s the official blog birthday I celebrate each year.

My very first post is still one of my favorites. It wasn’t even a recipe, but a series of photos from a recent trip we had taken to Italy of the market in Florence. I want to live there! Who's coming with me?

That said, my early food photos are laughably bad. Post number two was a delicious dessert made with whipped cream, meringues and blackberries. With the ugliest photo. I’m not kidding. And yeah, I’m going to make you go look if you really want to because it’s just too awful to add again here. *Shudder*

Without further ado, I’d like to share a cocktail with you that I raise in thankful salute to all the people who have supported me in this three-year journey. To my family and close friends first and foremost, for putting up with my experiments, for waiting to eat while I take photos of the food and for allowing me to tell their stories and share their photos on occasion. To my fellow bloggers who have taught me so much about food photography, website optimization and social media with generosity of spirit and endless camaraderie. And finally, to you, my readers. You leave me kind comments and send me recipe suggestions. You share links to my posts with your own friends and family. You give me great joy and it is my privilege to meet you in this space. Thank you!

As I was researching this drink, I found recipes that varied depending on whether it was the Queen Mother who was drinking it or Queen Elizabeth, the former preferring more gin than Dubonnet and the latter preferring more Dubonnet than gin, so feel free to mix yours however you like. I went with Queen Elizabeth’s two-to-one proportions.

Ingredients
Twist of lemon and lime peel
2 oz or about 60ml Dubonnet
1 oz or about 30ml good quality gin
Ice (The queen reportedly likes three cubes of ice. What is it with the British and their dislike of ice?!)

Method
Add the twists of lemon and lime to your glass along with the ice.

Measure in the Dubonnet and gin.

Cheers! And, once again, thank you so much for your support!

Cherry-O Mini Muffins for #MuffinMonday

When cherries are in season, there is no better fruit to add to a tender muffin. These sing of sunshine and sweetness, with bonus fiber from the cereal that also adds a delightful nuttiness. 

With my summer holidays in the States coming to a close, I thought it only appropriate to bake one last time with cherries, which have become more affordable since I baked my cherry sweet bread twist a few weeks ago. I also added some honey nut O’s in an effort to use up store cupboard items. Ditto with the whipping cream. You could probably substitute more milk for that but then the muffins won’t be as rich. And that would be a shame.

Ingredients
For 24 mini muffins:
1/2 cup or 90g chopped, pitted, fresh cherries
1 cup or 80g crushed honey nut O’s or similar cereal
1/2 cup or or 65g flour
1/4 cup or 50g sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup or 60ml heavy whipped cream
1/4 cup or 60ml milk
1/4 cup or 60ml canola or other light oil
1 egg

For decoration:
6 cherries cut into quarters
24 honey nut O’s

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your muffin pans by greasing them or lining them with paper muffin cups.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and crushed cereal and stir well.

In another bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, oil and egg.

Pour your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold them together until just mixed.

Fold in your chopped cherries.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups and top each muffin with a quarter cherry and a honey nut O.

Bake in the preheated oven about 10-15 minutes or until they are golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool on a rack for a few minutes and then remove the muffins to cool completely.

Look at those golden bottoms!

Enjoy!