STRAWBERRY ROSEMARY SYRUP

Cocktail—Mocktail—Dessert—Digestif

(Nora Fisher photo)

Some sugar and water, a few sliced strawberries and a sprig or two of fresh rosemary—and you’ve got yourself the start of a front porch party.  Use this delicious syrup for recipes below—or mixed in smoothies or over a scoop of ice cream.

First, the syrup:

Boil 1 cup water, add 1 cup sugar—boil to dissolve sugar, then simmer for 10 minutes.  Add 10 chopped strawberries and simmer 10 more minutes, to thicken slightly.  Remove from heat and immediately add 1-2 short sprigs of fresh rosemary.  Cool completely then strain through wire sieve, pushing on solids until almost dry.  Scrape underside of sieve frequently and stir into the syrup.  Refrigerate in lidded glass jar.

Cocktail:  Mix white rum, syrup and frozen lemonade concentrate—top with club soda.  Garnish with a mint sprig.

Mocktail:  Mix frozen orange juice concentrate, syrup and 7-Up.

Dessert:  Soak crushed cookies or cake with syrup in serving glass—add sliced strawberries and whipped cream, top with strawberry. 

Digestif:  Half-fill small glass with syrup—then carefully float Limoncello over the back of a spoon to drift over syrup.

The Kitchen Hive