Wednesday, August 04, 2010

pot marigold, sloes, instructions


Posted by PicasaPot marigold in the herb garden. I think that this is the second time I have photographed it this summer. Same plant, different flower. But one of today's beautiful  things. You can scatter the petals on a salad. Apart from looking good, they have a spicy taste, I am told.

From the train, I see sloes, with the curious blue glow of   the bloom on their surface, growing beside the train line. I think of sloe gin. In my mind, I gather the little, wild plums, mouth puckeringly sour, prick them one by one, drop them into a bottle, cover them with sugar, fill the bottle with gin, and wait until Christmas to sample the slow, sloe gin.

In Mount Sion I pass some tourists,  book in hand. The keeping stopping to consult the book, looking sideways at a map, to align themselves with it. They could equally be trying to assemble a flat-pack.

3 comments:

marja-leena said...

Another new word for me, 'sloe', though I think I've vaguely heard of sloe gin. so it's the fruit of blackthorn bushes which are not common in Canada. Your brew sounds like a delicious treat for the holidays. My daughter made something similar for me with raspberries and vodka but was short on the latter and topped it with gin. I can hardly wait to try it come Christmas and also put the berries into the trifle!

Lucy said...

A good wide necked jar, such as a Le Parfait or Kilner one, for the maceration stage. You never get all the pectin out, but it doesn't really matter. Christmas is really the earliest you can drink it, the longer you can leave it the better; same goes for ML's rasperry vodka!

Unknown said...

That's it M-L, blackthorn!

I've only made it once Lucy. Worth it just for the colour, but for much else, too.