Thai Basil Gimlet
Thai basil adds spicy, anise-like notes to a gimlet. Together with lime, elderflower liqueur, and good quality gin, the Thai basil gimlet is a cool twist on an elegant classic that we sip while enjoying the color and scents of our summer herb garden.
We’re very fond of our herb garden. A few years ago, we built a step stand on the back deck, and this holds enough aromatic greenery to pinch for the kitchen all summer long. Having herbs so close to hand means that it’s easy to get inspiration for a food or drink recipe. Herb pots are easy to set up, don’t require any digging, and can be positioned wherever you have a sunny spot. A few years ago, in our garden-less apartment in Brooklyn, we’d sneak herb pots out onto the fire escape in defiance of the landlady. When Emily lived in an industrial loft building, the roof was always the sunniest location and where herbs thrived. The pride of our raised bed garden is always late-summer tomatoes, but there’s a hero of the herb garden that brings us delight from early summer onwards. To paraphrase T S Eliot, we can measure out our summer in basil leaves.
This is about a third of the herbs we’re growing, though the shiso (bottom left) is trying to take over the world.
Red Curry Chicken Meatballs
This Thai-influenced dish delivers big flavor for very little work. Tender oven-baked chicken or turkey meatballs, simmered in a delicious coconut milk-based red curry sauce. Packed with ginger and garlic and showered with fresh herbs, this is a crowd pleaser.
Half-Baked / No-Bake Blackberry-Vanilla Swirl Cheesecake
We call this "half-baked" instead of "no-bake" cheesecake, because the Graham cracker crust gets a few minutes in the oven, but the filling is the real prize: whipped vanilla and blackberry batters swirled into a beautiful pattern. Using freeze-dried berries lends...
Roasted Beets and Whipped Feta Tart
This simple, elegant tart has a layer of creamy whipped feta cheese topped with lightly marinated roasted beets. A puff pastry shell makes it a breeze to prepare, while a scattering of fresh mint and crunchy pistachios adds crunch and freshness.
Summer Berry Tart with Lemon Mascarpone Cream
This Summer Berry Tart with Lemon Mascarpone Cream is supermodel gorgeous, rich and creamy, balanced by the bright citrusy flavor of lemon curd. And super-duper easy to make!
Summer Stuffed Shells with Creamy Fontina Sauce
Pasta shells stuffed with a delicious mix of Swiss chard, fresh basil and ricotta cheese, nestled under a blanket of bubbling, creamy fontina sauce. This is a rich and decadent dish that also happens to be packed with our favorite early summer vegetables. Best eaten outside, with simple roasted tomatoes and crisp white wine.
Sticky Lemongrass Chicken Thighs with Black Rice Salad
Sticky Lemongrass Chicken Thighs are marinated in our favorite Thai flavors, then roasted until golden brown and delicious. We serve them on top of a beautiful, healthy Black Rice Salad, studded with crunchy red cabbage and loaded with fresh herbs. This chicken will stick right to your favorites list.
Aviation Cocktail with Homemade Violet Syrup
We give the classic Aviation Cocktail a modern twist with our own homemade Violet Syrup. A mix of gin, lemon juice, violet syrup and maraschino cherry syrup, it’s as beautiful as it is delicious. The syrup is also great mixed with Champagne, or with club soda.
Nettle, Leek and Potato Soup with Garlic-Brown Butter Croutons
Spring is here, and one of the first areas of the garden to poke up green leaves is the stinging nettle patch. If you can avoid the sting, the nettle is one of the healthiest, most delicious perennials that’s super-easy to propagate — and is the superstar of this soup, made with leeks, potatoes, and the green, green nettle.
Blood Orange and Hibiscus Curd Tart with a Gingersnap Crust
Our ruby-hued blood orange and hibiscus curd makes a delicious and luscious filling for this beautiful seasonal tart. The crust is made from crushed gingersnap cookies, and couldn’t be simpler. With a great balance between sweet, tart and spicy, this is a real showstopper of a dessert.
Ultra-Smooth Hummus with Miso and Charred Scallions
This ultra-smooth hummus is worlds away from the packaged stuff. It’s as fluffy and creamy as buttercream, with a lemony tang and a deep umami hit from our addition, miso. Topped with sweet and spicy charred scallions, this is more than a dip, it’s a way of life. (Just kidding. Though it is a really good dip).
Buy our book!
