Drinks & Dishes with Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen

June 21st, 2018 | By Kathy Casey

Drink: Garden Honey-Lemon Tonic
Dish: Piccolo Caprese Picks with Quick Basil Aioli

Summer Bounty

With summer upon us, now is the perfect time of year to incorporate the herbal bounty of lush gardens into dishes and seasonal beverages! From flavorful caprese skewers spiked with basil, juicy tomatoes and mozzarella, served with herb-spiked aioli, to warm olives tossed with rosemary and thyme, you can’t beat the summer season to incorporate fresh herbs in your small plate selections alongside a refreshing and aromatic cocktail. An easy-to-make Garden Honey-Lemon Water is a knockout addition to a classic Gin & Tonic, garnished with a bouquet of fresh herbs.

Celebrate the freshness of the season!

– Kathy

Garden Honey-Lemon Tonic

Makes 1 cocktail
1 ½ oz Malfy Con Limone Gin
1 oz Garden Honey-Lemon Water (recipe follows)
3 oz Q Spectacular Tonic
1 Lemon wheel
Fresh herb sprigs such as rosemary, mint or basil

Fill a tall glass with ice. Measure in the Gin, Garden Honey-Lemon Water and tonic. Stir and garnish with lemon and fresh herbs.

Garden Honey-Lemon Water
Makes about 36 ounces
1/2 cup hot water
2 cups clover honey
2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice
12 pumps Monin Cucumber Concentrated Flavor

Combine hot water and honey in a container and stir until dissolved. Cool, then stir in lemon juice and concentrated flavor. Fill bottles with honey lemon mixture. Store refrigerated for up to 7 days.</em

Piccolo Caprese Picks with Quick Basil Aioli

The beloved Italian dish goes “mini-on-a-pick.” Be sure to purchase Ciliegine Mozzarella Balls – these are the tiny, cherry-sized ones and perfect for this recipe.

Makes 24

Aioli
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
⅓ cup high-quality mayonnaise
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Caprese
24 ripe cherry tomatoes (about 1 pint)
24 small fresh basil leaves
24 Ciliegine Mozzarella Balls, drained well
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
24 short bamboo or other fun picks

To make the aioli: In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice and basil. Whisk in the mayonnaise until smooth. Gradually drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly, until emulsified. Cover and refrigerate until needed. The aioli can be made up to 3 days in advance.

To assemble the caprese: With a paring knife, halve each cherry tomato horizontally, being careful to keep the halves together. Then thread onto a pick in this order: a tomato top, a basil leaf, a mozzarella ball, and the tomato bottom. Be sure the cut sides of the tomato face toward the cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Place on a platter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve with the aioli in a bowl for dipping or drizzling.

Appetizer recipe and photo from Kathy Casey Sips & Apps cookbook

Kathy Casey is an award-winning chef and mixologist, best known as the original Bar Chef. She owns Kathy Casey Food Studios – Liquid Kitchen® a global full-service food, beverage and concept development agency. Contact: info@kathycasey.com Follow: @KathyCaseyChef