Friday, November 5, 2010

CSA cooking: 2 easy passion fruit cocktails

basket inventory: yellow wax beans, oranges, apples, eggplant, 3 kinds of lettuce, chard, onions, squash, arugula, guava

(yes, that's all you need)
although we didn't receive passion this week, Morning Song Farm usually hooks us up with some yummy passion fruit which i was completely oblivious to how wonderful it was until i joined a CSA-boy have i been missing out!

i am lucky enough to know someone who has a boatload of passion fruit (and those who have passion fruit know that the vines go CRAZY-much like grapes), and i am allowed to pick from them. recently, most of the passion fruit that i've gathered has gone to making a beautiful jelly that you will be able to pick up at this month's Patchwork Shows, but what do you do when you have less than 10?
you make cocktails of course!
i am all about the cheap and tasty and one of my most favorite things to drink is the UBER-cheap these recipes for sure embrace this.
right now, i am totally in love with the $5 cava/champs from Fresh and Easy. great for cooking, preserves (coming in dec) and cocktails, buy over 6 and receive %10 off-hell of a deal and tastes really good (my mom just bought a case after having some cocktails here)!  this is my take on a mimosa with a little somethin'-somethin'

PASSOSA
  • tall glass
  • ice
  • 1-2 passion fruit
  • one super juicy orange or even grapefruit
  • champs, cava or some other sparkly deal (even non-alchy!)
yep, that's it and is REALLY good! juice the whole citrus, scoop out the passion fruit (seeds and all-totally OK), add some ice and fill the rest with bubbly. mix, down (because you will) and repeat.

the next drink has been a crowd favorite and just as easy and cheap-sangria. when having larger events and have passion fruit i always make this.

EASY PASSION SANGRIA
  • 1 gal, cheap a** sangria/burgundy/red wine, like the Carlo Rossi one below
  • 1/2 c. Triple Sec
  • fruit: a few citrus (1/2 in rings other 1/2 juiced), apples (diced), or whatever you fancy
  • 5-10 passion fruit insides
  • ice
  • champs/cava/clear soda 
(just $5 at your local booze seller)

    mix all together and put in one of those big honker glass deals that you see at Mexican grocery stores (a worthy investment!)