It’s strawberry season and I love using strawberries in anything and everything I can while they’re fresh and available locally. I remember my grandparents taking me to a strawberry farm every summer as a child. I was so excited to have my very own bucket, and would anxiously roam the fields to find the ripest and most beautiful juicy red strawberries. I’d eat some of them on the ride home, covering my face with sweet strawberry juice. Once we got back to Grandma’s, we’d eat them plain or on angel food cake with whipped cream. Those were the days.
I look forward to strawberry season every year and still enjoy roaming the fields of my local strawberry farm: Garner Farm in Newport. The only difference is that I now make more “grown-up” recipes with my strawberries. During my last visit, I also purchased a basil plant and returned home to make these strawberry basil martinis.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how the subtle pepper flavor of the fresh basil compliments the sweetness of the strawberries in this martini. It’s a perfect after-dinner cocktail or just for sipping on the porch on a hot summer night. I hope you’ll get the chance to visit your local strawberry farm and make this martini soon. What are your favorite memories of picking fresh strawberries? Please let me know in the comments below, I’d love to hear!
What you’ll need:
- 4 large strawberries
- 3 basil leaves, torn
- 1 part vodka
- 1 part club soda
- ½ part lime juice
- 1 part simple syrup
Directions:
Place the strawberries and basil in a cocktail shaker. Muddle well using a muddler (if you don’t have a muddler, you can use the back of a wooden spoon). Fill the shaker half-full with ice and add remaining ingredients. Shake vigorously for at least 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass.
—
Amy Brinkley lives in Morehead City and is the writer and photographer of the food blog, The Blond Cook. Find her other archived recipes here.