March Garden Totals and Two of My Favorite Spring Drinks

There is not much to pick around here in the garden in March. We were able to pick a decent amount of nettles in the woods on our property but being greens they don't weigh much. About the only other things that are big enough to pick now are chives and mint. That is fine by me since it gave me a chance to make two of my favorite drinks.

Here is what I picked this month:

1 pound nettles
1 ounce chives
1 ounce mint

Month total: 1 pound 2 ounces

Year total: 2 pounds 2 ounces


Harvest recipes:

Lavender Mint Lemonade

1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 cup water
2-3 dashes lavender bitters
Mint simple syrup (recipe follows)
Mint sprigs for garnish

Combine lemon juice, water and bitters. Stir in mint simple syrup to taste. Pour over ice and garnish with mint sprigs.

Mint Simple Syrup

½ cup sugar
½ cup water
4 mint sprigs

Combine sugar and water in a small pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and add mint sprigs. Steep for ten minutes. Strain out mint.


Raspberry Mojito

6-8 mint leaves
Two lime wedges
1 ounce aged rum
1 ounce raspberry liqueur (sub raspberries in this recipe http://wornoutgardener.blogspot.com/2013/07/blueberry-liqueur.html)
Lemon-lime soda
Mint sprig for garnish

Muddle mint leaves and lime wedges in a glass. Add rum and raspberry liqueur and stir. Fill glass with ice and top with lemon-lime soda. Garnish with mint sprig.