A very wise 5 year old gave me a piece of good advice the other day. Don't wish your life away but just live for the moment (I may be paraphrasing slightly). And so I am determined to enjoy these last vestiges of summer. After all, it is still August and the sky is still blue and the sun is still warm.
There will be time enough for baking, for autumnal colours and flavours but, for now, I'm going to embrace the present.
Nothing says summer to me like the smell of lavender when rows of purple bushes line up envelop you in their heady scent. Every time the wind blows, the perfume seems to dance across through the air. Market stalls sell big bunches of freshly cut lavender or small bags stuffed with the buds. On the last night of my holiday, I sat outside long past bedtime trying to drink in every last drop of the fragrant air. Trying to fill my lungs with enough to last me until next year.
I brought enough lavender home though that I'll be able to enjoy lavender lemonade whenever I get 'homesick'. Served ice cold, the lavender adds a delicate floral note without being overpowering. A shot of vodka would kick this up into the realms of a dream cocktail but it's just as good plain and simple.
Incidentally, I first found this recipe on pintrest and knew that I'd have to make it over the summer. I was so right.
Lavender lemonade (makes approx 1.5l)
From Shindig411.com
1 cup sugar
2.5 cups water
1/4 cup lavender buds, stripped from their stems
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2.5 cups water
1. Heat the sugar and 2.5 cups water in a saucepan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat, add the lavender buds and leave to infuse for an hour.
2. After an hour, strain the syrup and discard the buds. Pour into a big jug and top up with lemon juice and more water. Adjust sugar/lemon to taste and chill until ready to drink.
A note on the measurements - I normally work in weights but this recipe was already in cups and I didn't have any scales. As most of the measurements are liquid, and a cup is 240ml, it wasn't that difficult to manager without.