I am inspired by some of my friends that when it comes to cooking, they never seem to throw anything away. Carrot tops can be made into pesto. Watermelon rind can be pickled. They get the most out of everything, and everything is always delicious. I aspire to be more like them and am trying to be more conscious of such things.
Recently I was roasting some nectarines for sherbet in a basil infused sugary sauce and the recipe called for discarding the syrup. This was a no brainer. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it but I knew I wasn’t throwing it out.
We were having a small dinner party last weekend and I usually like to get things started off with a cocktail and an hors d’oeuvre as people arrive to ease into the evening. It’s the height (and heat) of summer so I decided to make good use of that tasty syrup in the fridge with a spin on a mojito.
Nectarine Basil Mojito
Makes 1 drink
In a cocktail shaker, combine a 1/2 ounce or so of the nectarine basil simple syrup, a generous slice of ripe nectarine, 4 basil leaves and a splash of club soda. Muddle. Add 1 1/2 ounce of white rum and stir to mix. Pour into a glass filled with ice and top with a generous pour of soda. Drink can be garnished with a small slice of nectarine on the rim if you like.
Cheers!