I am on a David Tanis kick. I loved his platter of figs, and the first cookbook I bought after our travels, is heart of the artichoke. I made two of Tanis' recipes already today and have the fixings for another for tonight's dinner. I so appreciate that many of the dishes are super simple and quick to toss together. Tanis is great company in the kitchen.Paul and I have been intrigued by the idea of making our own spirits, ciders, and beers. We have yet to take the plunge and brew our own, but I thought I'd get my toes wet by trying Tanis' Digestivo with Fresh Berries.
I think serving this berry digestif to dinner party guests would be a fun end to a meal. Or why not take a large jam jar full of the rosy concoction as a hostess gift, next time you are invited to eat at someone else's table.
INGREDIENTS from David Tanis' heart of the artichoke
(printable recipe)
- 1 cup fresh berries (Tanis suggests a mix of raspberries and blackberries)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups of vodka or grappa
Place washed berries in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Crush the berries and sugar between your fingers to combine. Pour vodka (or grappa) over the sugar/berry mixture. Stir. Cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours before serving.
Serve the digestif in small glasses. Use a spoon or small ladle to scoop some of the crushed berries into each glass. I would serve the digestif with tiny spoons so that everyone can scoop up the boozy berries. Why waste such deliciousness?
By the way... we also mixed the berry vodka with a little tonic for a delightful cocktail. Yum!
I made a whole heap of cider with two friends near the end of last summer. It was finally ready earlier this spring, and oooh yeah, it was worth it.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait until I have enough space to fit a few carboys and get crackin':)
This sounds soo yummy! I love making infused vodkas and last christmas everyone got cranberry lime vodka and a jar of pepper gin for gin caesars.
ReplyDeleteI have that platter of figs books and I don't think I've even opened it! I should take a look at it soon
Emma! Ooooh I so want to make cider. Did you make apple or pear? Love the carboys:)
ReplyDeleteStephanie, I think you'd love platter of figs. I actually read the book cover to cover ( a first for me with a cookbook.) The way Tanis talks about food is very inspiring! And your infused vodkas sound delish.... Wish I were on your Christmas list;)
-Erin
I absolutely LOVE this idea! This digestif looks amazing and I bet the flavors were perfect. I once made my own limoncello and it came out pretty darn good. My husband and I have been talking about making beer. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely drink! I bet it would taste great with Kirsch.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
I love this idea, it looks so good, and fresh berries would make it absolutely delicious.
ReplyDeleteI've now added heart of artichoke to my cookbook wishlist,not that I need any more cookbooks. It looks fantastic.
It is a fresh, bright, Summer way to watch the sun go down. Delicious.
ReplyDeleteLisa, So cool that you made your own Limoncello. I need to give that one a try too. Let me know how the beer making goes. My husband and I found a shop in Berkeley where you can get all your own brewing gear. We're inspired!
ReplyDeleteRosa, I bet kirsh would be great too:)
Jennifer, I know the bulging cookbook collection is a dangerous thing - but also so fun, right? I think you'd Enjoy Tanis' books. He really is amazing and the photos are stunning.
P thanks!
Such a beautiful creation, gorgeous color and I'm sure it tastes amazing, as well.
ReplyDeleteI love what P. wrote about it and completely agree :)
ohohoh! where did you get those glasses? my parents had ONE glass of that shape in the house growing up, and i loved it!
ReplyDelete(also: stunning photos!)
Now, who wouldn't want to start a party with THAT? Colorful, festive and cheery, it totally sets the done for the rest of the evening. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks M and Carolyn! Have a great weekend:)
ReplyDeleteEmily, I got the little glasses in Istanbul. The are standard tea glasses there. Aren't they a great shape!
Cheers,
E
Love muddled, boozy berries! So awesome by the spoonful. I'm going to echo the glass comment. They are SUPER cool. What a great thing to bring back from Instanbul! I'm so impressed you got them home without breaking them...
ReplyDeleteAllison, It really was a miracle that the glasses made it home. In fact we did loose one along the way;(
ReplyDeleteI am loving your cocktail series. So inspiring!
-E
Looks gorgeous - such pretty glasses. I adore macerating summer berries with just sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice (not many have escaped this fate so far this summer...) but I hadn't thought of adding alcohol!
ReplyDeleteI just love the colors of this drink! And the simplicity of the recipe - the perfect speed for an amateur booze-maker like myself!
ReplyDeleteWe made apple cider, but it was from at least four different kinds of apples that we had picked earlier in the day. Of which one kind was my favorite, the ever-lovely Cortland!
ReplyDeleteWe just made some of this digestif over the weekend, after picking as many wild raspberries as we could find (admittedly, not too many... the mosquitoes were victorious). Unfortunately, there was no sugar up at the cabin we were at, so we ended up mixing the infusion into some orange juice, for a POW-ed up screwdriver! Pow!
Poire au Chocolat - I usually gobble up berries so quickly that I never thought to macerate them in lemon and sugar. What a great idea. Really what isn't delicious with lemon and sugar!
ReplyDeleteJamie, Thanks! I love the simplicity too.
Emma, So cool about your cider. Must say, I don't know the Cortland. I must be really missing out. I'm so inspired by your cider making - we must try this fall:) And that berry screwdriver sounds damn tasty!
E
Such gorgeous color! The digestif sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteOh, and those mushroom packets below sound really delicious too, so much good stuff on your site :)
I too think the drink looks especially inviting due to your wonderful photography and those groovy glasses. I love how something so standard in one country gets so many ooh's and aah's in another country.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Indie.Tea :)
ReplyDeleteSarah, I do love how iconic things once place are so exotic in another. One of the great treats of travel, right:) Are you guys going to Istanbul? So curious.
-E
My favorite thing in this post? (And there are quite a few.) Mixing the berries and sugar with your fingers. That alone makes me want to make this!
ReplyDeletecan't stop thinking of how delicious this mix would taste... Great photo
ReplyDeleteTres Delicious - thanks! I think I might need to toss together another batch of the stuff myself:) It really is tasty!
ReplyDelete-Erin
Wow this looks gorgeous!! Love your blog and so glad to be a new follower! xoxo
ReplyDeleteThanks Kelly! :)
ReplyDelete