Sparkling Cucumber Basil Lemonade | Kale and Caramel Cookbook

I spent a good few hours in the backyard this week, sweeping up the leftovers from fall and winter - getting ready for the few glorious weeks when the weather is warm enough to hang outside, but the mosquitos haven't hatched yet...I am a mosquito magnet and our backyard seems to be a hotbed of bug action in the warm months which makes it a not so fun place to hang.

For whatever reason we couldn't seem to get ourselves together enough to host people out back last year, but I am determined to host a few get togethers in the coming weeks. That means lots of good reasons to try delicious new recipes - and big batch cocktails. I love a sparkling sipper and this refreshing drink from Lily's new cookbook caught my eye immediately as I flipped through. Now, this recipe isn't a cocktail as written, but I could see a heavy pour of gin fitting in quite nicely with these tasting ingredients. 

Lily's new book is broken down into 12 chapters that each highlight a flower or herb in fresh and delicious recipes including lots beauty products like masks, body scrubs, and the like but it is also so much more than just a cookbook. Lily writes about life, love, hurt, and heartbreak in such a painfully honest and vulnerable way it is a truly unique release in this busy Spring season.

---

Sparkling Cucumber Basil Lemonade

Recipe courtesy of the Kale & Caramel Cookbook

I subbed in limes for lemons because I was out of the yellow guys and I highly recommend it if you find yourself lemonless like me.

3-inch length of cucumber, chilled and coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup), plus some extra slices for garnish

2 to 3 fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus lemon slices for garnish (or lime!)

1/4 cup still water 

1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar 

3/4 cup sparking water, or more to taste

Add the chopped cucumber to a blender or food processor with the basil, lemon juice, still water, and honey. Blend until smooth, then distribute evenly between two glasses. 

Add the sparkling water, agin splitting evenly between the glasses. Drop in a few ice cubes, and garnish with cucumber slices, lemon slices, and basil as desired. 

Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake from Simple Fare

When I was first transitioning out of restaurant work into the food media world I volunteered for Karen Mordechai at Sunday Suppers a handful of times. Honestly, it was mostly my nosiness lead me to contact Karen. I had followed her work online and was so inspired by the dreamy light-filled space that she had created in a formerly industrial space in Brooklyn that I just had to see it in person- and I was too broke to buy a ticket to one of her dinners...I met so many wonderful people through Karen and Sunday Suppers and the experience really informed how I have decided to make my own career in food. 

I admire what Karen has built so much (she even has a line of beautiful pantry essentials called ILA), and wasn't surprised at all when I took a look at her new work - Simple Fare. It is part art catalogue - part simple recipe inspiration to carry you through the Spring and Summer and so Karen. I can't wait to see the Fall/Winter edition in the coming months.

Congrats, Karen! It's lovely and this Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake is delicious too!

Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Adapted from Simple Fare: A Guide to Everyday Cooking and Eating Spring/Summer by Karen Mordechai

Karen offers some suggestions of different ways to top the cake, and there is a recipe for delicious cardamom infused cream below. I went with whipped yogurt sweetened with a bit of honey, chopped pistachios, and the rose and cacao nib sprinkles from Lily's Kale and Caramel Cookbook. Choose your own adventure!

Cake

3/4 cup (180ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan

1/2 cup (50g) good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup (120ml) boiling water

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups (165g) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup (195g) superfine sugar

3 large eggs

Cyprus flake salt

Cardamom Cream

1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Serving

1 teaspoon dried rose petals

1/2 cup (65g) chopped unsalted pistachios

Cyprus flake salt

Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Grease a 9-inch (23cm) springform baking pan with a little olive oil and line the base with parchment paper cut to fit.

Sift the cocoa into a medium bowl and whisk in the boiling water until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla, then set aside to cool slightly. In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the sugar, olive oil, and eggs until you have a light, fluffy cream, about 3 minutes.

Turn the speed on the mixer down and pour in the cocoa and vanilla mixture. Slowly add the flour mixture until it is evenly incorporated, stopping the mixer and scraping down the bowl as necessary.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sides are set and the top of the cake still looks slightly moist. A cake tester inserted into the center should come out clean or with just a few crumbs on it. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

While the cake is baking, in a chilled metal or glass bowl using a hand mixer, beat the cream on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. Add the cardamom and beat until stiff peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Run a knife around the edge of the cake and release the sides of the pan. Transfer the cake to a serving plate or cake stand. Sprinkle with more flaky salt. Serve each slice with a dollop of the cardamom cream and a sprinkling of rose petals, pistachios, and flaky salt.