Friday, June 16, 2017

Drink and a nosh: Campari frappe, and smoked trout spread





Campari frappe
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Taste, Summer 2002

Ingredients
1/8 cup water
1/8 cup sugar
½-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
¼ cup Campari
1 cup fresh ruby red grapefruit juice
½ lime, thinly sliced

Method
Heat water to a simmer. Add sugar and ginger, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Remove ginger.

Combine the resulting simple syrup, Campari, grapefruit juice, lime and crushed ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake well and poor mixture, including ice, into a glass. 

Rating: Very refreshing and tasty on a hot summer day. The ginger note doesn't really make it through against the more assertive grapefruit juice and Campari, but it's a nice blend. I love anythng with Campari, so I'm not complaining. Might try the ginger simple syrup in something else where it gets to show off more.



Our North Shore vacation souvenirs skew toward the food and drink aisles. This appetizer made good use of smoked trout from Dockside Fish Market in Grand Marais.

Smoked trout brandade
From "Great Parties" from Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients
8 ounces smoked trout, skin and bones removed
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
9 tablespoons cream
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
Black pepper to taste
1 baguette, sliced into crostini-size and toasted
Chervil leaves for garnish

Method
Combine trout, shallots, cream, horseradish and pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth. (You could prepare this part ahead if you wanted for party purposes.) Spread mixture generously on toasted bread. Garnish with chervil leaves.

Rating: A perfectly respectable and tasty use of some of the precious smoked trout. Could bear repeating, as could our vacation.

Play along: "Storyteller" by Tine Thing Helseth Who knew the trumpet could sound that wistful?

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