Basil Mojito

I bought like a ten pound bag of fresh basil. We have a hellofalotta basil in the apartment. The apartment smells slightly sweet. Sometimes I buy things in bulk pretending that there are more than two light eaters in the house. We will be eating drinking basil for a week solid. It is totally okay, the mercury has crept above 90 and we tend to make everything in liquid form. I probably should get ten pounds of lemons and limes....

I also bought a bottle of white rum. Why did I wait seven years to finally buy white rum? Rum and summer are best buddies, they mix well together.

I only bought one bottle of rum. I do not need ten pounds of rum in the house.

Fresh herbs are one of my favorite summer scores. So are creative cocktails, summer dresses, tan lines from bike shorts, white nail polish, time by the pool and J's master grilling abilities. I just like summer. Summer makes everything pop.

I don't like snakes that come out in summer, that is it.

There is a big open blue sky in the desert, I can walk around in a bikini and not get cold even in the shade, sage brush, dust, ice laden drinks, sunshine - all of which I can't get enough. Snakes have me running in fear.

Basil and booze, it is like basil and pasta, it just works if you like basil. It is like fireworks and sunshine, you have to like them in order to enjoy them. Don't pretend, just yes or no.

This concoction, without booze next to the pool in the afternoon, with a splash of rum next to the pool in the evening, will be around as we widdle away our time here in the desert.

I have to admit I am used to cold climates, you can tell by the fact that I rarely put ice in my drinks. I run on the chilly side making ice almost unbearable. A beverage here in the desert without ice is a bit unbearable. Times change. Habit kicked in when I made this batch, mixing the ingredients with ice to chill them then straining it into a favorite little glass. Next batch was poured into a pint glass that was full of ice cubes. I liked both variations, J liked it cold, loaded with ice cubes. 


Basil Mojito

Makes 1 cocktail

Double it, call a friend and sit in the sun. Enjoy the summer!

• 10 basil leaves
• 1/2 glass soda water
• 1 tablespoon mint simple syrup
• 3 lime slices
• 2 shots white rum
• soda water 

Place basil leaves, simple syrup and lime slices into a chilled shaker. Lightly muddle with a wooden spoon until the lime is juiced and the basil smell becomes intense. Add rum and a few ice cubes then shake shake shake! Fill a pint glass with ice strain the contents of the shaker over the ice and on top it with soda water. Garnish with a few basil leaves, sprigs of mint or lime wedges.

ENJOY.

Silky Lemon Olive Oil Cake

 Hello my friends! I am full of great information today - you are lucky.

 Like this bit of worldy knowledge:

If you really want to do something sweet, bake a cake for someone.

Make it a super simple cake, like this one, requiring little time, everyday ingredients and relies on fresh fruit for flavor.  It is summer and you have things to do other than keep warm in the kitchen like you have been doing all winter. People to save, galaxies to discover, weeds to pull.

Next time you smell the sweet aroma of a BBQ, you know what to do. I am providing you with the tools to make your summer very successful. Bake a cake and go make new friends. Life is going to be easy! You are also going to want to tuck a bottle of this wonderful Washington wine under your other arm. Bernard Griffin Rose of Sangiovese wins awards and will please everyone.

Rose and lemon cake..... it will work, promise.

You know it is summer, there are plenty of parties where you want to show up with something sweet, not from the deli counter. Considered yourself prepared and stop all the fussing.

Everyone loves gifts and presents that are edible, you just win every time. Make a cake with bright fresh fruit that pops with color and brighten every one's day.

When J had a birthday on Monday I knew that he would not be into something overly sweet and totally turned off by elaborate, honestly he didn't even want cake. I wanted cake. I wanted a silky smooth bright cake. I knew he would love this simple loaf that packs the flavorful in full force with out gagging on sugar. If fruit was in season I would have spiked it with some berries. Don't fuss that there is no berries in season or that the last of the frozen blueberries went into last week's smoothie, the lemon cake can pull it's own weight.

You are going to be okay, you have a perfect summer time cake.

Silky Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Inspired by Smitten Kitchen and adapted loosely from Ina Garten,

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease the pan.

Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and olive oil.

Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 (+) minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in.

Cool.

This cake is wonderful the first day when there is a paper thin shell of sugar coating over the top of the cake.