Forsythia is the first edible flower blooming in my garden. It's bright yellow blooms create the most beautiful syrup. I use the syrup in cocktails and drizzled over berries and Greek yogurt. 

Makes 1 cup

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup forsythia blossoms

1. Combine the sugar and water in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. 
2. Turn off the heat and add the forsythia flowers. Cool to room temperature. Strain and discard the flowers.
3. Add to a drink to taste or use in a cocktail.
4. Store your syrup in the refrigerator in a covered jar or squeeze bottle. Store for up to 2 weeks. 

Variations: Prepare as above using different herbs 

• Basil syrup- 1/2 cup basil leaves
• Lavender syrup- 1 tablespoon lavender petals (not leaves)
• Chamomile syrup- 1 cup of chamomile flowers-use flowers that have just opened 
• Rosemary syrup- 1 tablespoon leaves
• Lemon verbena syrup- 1/2 cup leaves
• Cilantro syrup- 1 cup leaves and stems
• Lilac syrup- 2 cups flowers-use flowers that have just opened 

​Community Cookbook Recipes from the Heart of Hollis-1912 to present
Recently, I pulled out my small collection of Hollis community cookbooks and began turning the pages. It was like stepping back in time. These endearing books were created by Hollis community groups as fundraisers and sold at various festivals and Old Home Days celebrations. Each book is a collection of tried-and-true family favorites, potluck specialties, and social hour regulars. The recipes provide a peek into a place and a time like a culinary historical record. Ingredient lists, cooking instructions, and recipe themes all tell part of a larger story about the times in which the recipes were created and give a glimpse into the lives of the home cooks who filled the pages with their favorite recipes.

Florence Brown’s Rhubarb Punch and Rhubarb Punch Cocktail
Source: From the Heart of Hollis-The Hollis Women’s Club 1998
Rhubarb Punch Submitted by Carolyn Gargasz
Location: Appetizers, Beverages page 10
 
This punch is perfect for a spring party. I loved it so much, I created the Rhubarb Punch Cocktail recipe below. 
 
Rhubarb Punch
“Florence made this punch every year for the Hollis Anna Keyes Powers Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) annual meeting and potluck supper.” Carolyn Gargasz
 
Cook 2 pounds of cut up rhubarb in 5 cups of water until mushy. Press through sieve. Measure juice. To each cup, add 1/3 cup of sugar and stir until dissolved: boil 2 minutes. 
Add, for each cup: 
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup lemon juice
Just before serving, add 1 quart of ginger ale plus ice cubes or an ice ring.
 
 
Rhubarb Punch Cocktail by Liz Barbour

Makes 1 drink

2 ounces gin (vodka, white rum, or tequila can be substituted)

1 ounce orange liquor -triple sec
2 ounces Rhubarb Punch 
1 ounce fresh lime juice
 
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add all of the cocktail ingredients. Shake until the outside of the shaker is frosted-about 30 seconds.  Strain into a cocktail coupe and serve with a lime twist or pour ingredients w/ice into 8-ounce glass and serve with a lime or orange twist

Enjoy these herb syrups in lemonade, limeade, cocktails, coffee drinks, tea, drizzled over fruit, and cakes.

1 cup sugar (honey can be used instead of sugar)
1 cup water
1 cup mint

1. Combine the sugar and water in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. 
2. Turn off the heat and add the mint leaves. Cool to room temperature. Strain and discard the mint leaves.
3. Add to a drink to taste.
4. Store your syrup in the refrigerator in a covered jar or squeeze bottle. Store for up to 2 weeks. 

Variations: Prepare as above using different herbs 

• Basil syrup- 1/2 cup basil leaves
• Lavender syrup- 1 tablespoon lavender petals (not leaves)
• Chamomile syrup- 1 cup of chamomile flowers-use flowers that have just opened 
• Rosemary syrup- 1 tablespoon leaves
• Lemon verbena syrup- 1/2 cup leaves
• Cilantro syrup- 1 cup leaves and stems
• Lilac syrup- 2 cups flowers-use flowers that have just opened 

Makes 1 Cocktail
2 ounces spirit of choice- Gin or Vodka or Tequila
1 ½ ounces raspberry syrup (recipe below)
1 ounce lemon or lime juice
2 basil leaves 
8-10 cubes ice
Garnish: small basil leaf and lime wedge

1. Combine spirit, raspberry syrup, lemon juice and basil in a cocktail shaker and fill with 4 cubes of ice. 
2. Shake until the shaker is frosted and well chilled, about 20 seconds. 
3. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass, garnishing with a basil sprig and lemon or lime wedge.

Raspberry Syrup Recipe
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries 

1. Combine water, sugar, and raspberries in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Let the berries cool. 
2. Strain through fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing on solids to extract juice. Pour into a squeeze bottle if you have one or other lidded container. Refrigerate for 2 weeks or freeze.

This is the week to make your lilac syrup. You want to be sure to use flowers that are newly open. If you don't have time to make your syrup; while the flowers are their best, cut your stems and put them in water and store them in the refrigerator for upto 4 days. This help to keep the flowers from opening more and baking in the sun. Make plenty of syrup and store it in 4oz containers in the freezer. You'll have lilac syrup for months to come.

1 cup (packed) lilac flowers-newly opened for best fragrance
½ cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 blue berries for color


Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the sugar melts.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the flowers and blueberries, gently press the flowers  to immerse them. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.

Strain the syrup, pressing on the flowers to extract as much syrup as possible. Store in a covered container. The syrup can be refrigerated 2-3 weeks or frozen for later use.
 
Uses:
Lemonade, iced tea, cocktails, drizzle over yogurt, ice cream, and cake.

2 oz lilac syrup
juice of one large lemon
seltzer or soda
Ice

Combine the lilac syrup and lemon juice in a tall glass with ice. Add seltzer to taste. Enjoy!

Cocktail Ideas: Add 2 ounces of gin or vodka for a tasty cocktail!

Quarantini
Recipe from-https://thenovicechefblog.com/quarantini/
 
3 oz vodka (or gin)
2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 ounce honey syrup
Lemon twist, garnish
Optional: 1 packet EmergenC
 
Add 2 cups ice to a cocktail shaker.
Add vodka, lemon juice and honey syrup to shaker.
Shake, and then strain into a chilled martini glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist if desired.
* EmergenC: run a lemon piece around the rim of the chilled martini glass and dip half the rim into the EmergenC powder. Pour in the drink.

Margarita-Classic
Makes one cocktail

1 1/2 ounces blanco tequila
3/4 ounce orange liqueur
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
optional-1 tsp agave nectar or simple sugar
salt for rim
lime wheel for garnish

Prepare a rocks, coupe or cocktail glass with a salted rim, if desired. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into prepared glass, over ice if desired. Garnish with a lime wheel.

​Recommendations:
         
Silver (or blanco/white) clear
Joven (or gold/oro/dorado) light color
Añejo (or aged)-brandy like in color

Orange liquor- Triple Sec-clear 
​                      Cointreau-brandy influenced-darker in color
                                

​Jalapeno Cucumber Margarita
Makes one cocktail
 
1 cucumber, diced
1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 ounces Silver Tequila (bright) or Anejo Tequila (smooth)
1 ounce orange liquor (bright) or Cointreau (smooth)
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp agave syrup or simple syrup (1 part water: 1 part sugar-sugar dissolved)
1 ounce jalapeno cucumber juice (see instructions below)
Kosher salt for rim
 
Prepare your glass by running a slice of lime around the outside of the rim. Turn the outside rim of the glass though salt and set aside. Add 1 cup ice to cocktail shaker. Pour in Tequila, orange liquor, lime juice, agave, and jalapeno cucumber juice. Cover and shake for 30 seconds. Pour contents into salt rimmed glass. Garnish with a wedge of lime.

Jalapeno Cucumber Juice
Place the chopped cucumber and jalapeno in a blender and smash the pieces down into the pitcher. Blend on high until liquefied, about 30 seconds. (You may need to stop the blender and smash the cucumber pieces down more to get the blade spinning again.)
Set a fine-mesh strainer over a 2-cup measuring cup and pour the liquefied cucumber mixture through the strainer. Using a rubber spatula, press on the solids to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids in the strainer. Refrigerate until needed or freeze for later use.
 

​Old Fashioned-Classic
 
1 sugar cube-brown sugar cube is a nice touch
(Or 1 tsp granulated sugar, or 1/4 ounce simple syrup)
2-3 Dashes Angostura Bitters
Splash warm water (if using sugar cube or sugar)
2 ounces Rye or Bourbon
Orange peel-garnish
 
In a double rocks glass, muddle the sugar cube or sugar with Angostura bitters and a small splash of warm water until dissolved. If using simple syrup, swirl with bitters in a double rocks glass. Add whiskey and ice (preferable an over size cube)and stir well. Garnish with an orange peel.
 
Variation:
Rosemary Old Fashioned
 
1/4 ounce rosemary syrup
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
2 ounces Rye or Bourbon
Rosemary sprig and orange peel for garnish
 
In a rocks glass combine the whiskey, rosemary syrup, and orange bitters. Add ice and stir to chill the drink. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and an orange peel.
 
Recommendations:
Bourbon-Jack Daniels
             Makers Mark

Gin and Tonic-Classic
2 ounces Gin
Tonic Water
Lime wedge-garnish
 
Add gin to a highball glass and fill with ice. Fill the glass with tonic water. Garnish with lime wedge.
 
Variation:
Rosemary Scented G &T
Rosemary sprig
 
Recommendations:
Gin
          Classic-Gordon’s Dry, Tanquray 10
          Herbal-Hendrick’s
          Botanical-Uncle Val's Botanical Gin 
Tonic
         Schwepp’s, Fever-Tree

Gin & Soda w/Cucumber and Mint

4 cucumber slices
4 mint leaves
2-3 ounces Gin- this is the time to be picky with your gin. Use a gin with botanical, floral, or herbal notes- Hendrick's Gin, Uncle Val's Botanical Gin are perfect.
Lime wedge

In a tall glass, muddle the cucumber and mint in the bottom. Pour in the gin. add ice and top with soda water. Finish with a squeeze of lime.

Adapted from https://www.mydiaryofus.com/blog/
Prepare the Golden Milk and drink it without the rum for a delicious and anti-inflammatory drink before bed. Serve it chilled or hot if you like. Add the rum to create a tasty cocktail.

2 cocktails

1 can coconut milk (full fat) Thai Kitchen is my favorite
1/4 Tsp. ground turmeric
1 pinch of black pepper (helps for your body to absorb the turmeric)
1/2 Tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp honey 
pinch of salt
4 oz. of spiced or dark rum
ice cubes
Cinnamon for garnish

1. Combine coconut milk, turmeric, black pepper, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and gently heat until coconut milk and honey have melted and the milk has turned bright yellow.  Take off of the heat, strain through a fine mesh strainer, and cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight. 
2. Add rum to a cocktail shaker and then pour turmeric milk in along with 5-6 ice cubes and shake until thoroughly chilled.
3. Pour over crushed ice and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Makes one cocktail
 
1 cucumber, diced
1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 ounces Silver Tequila (bright) or Anejo Tequila (smooth)
1 ounce orange liquor (bright) or Cointreau (smooth)
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp agave syrup or simple syrup (1 part water: 1 part sugar-sugar dissolved)
1 ounce jalapeno cucumber juice (see instructions below)
Kosher salt for rim
 
For the jalapeno cucumber juice:
Place the chopped cucumber and jalapeno in a blender and smash the pieces down into the pitcher. Blend on high until liquefied, about 30 seconds. (You may need to stop the blender and smash the cucumber pieces down more to get the blade spinning again.)
Set a fine-mesh strainer over a 2-cup measuring cup and pour the liquefied cucumber mixture through the strainer. Using a rubber spatula, press on the solids to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids in the strainer. Refrigerate until needed
 
Prepare your glass by running a slice of lime around the outside of the rim. Turn the outside rim of the glass though salt and set aside. Add 1 cup ice to cocktail shaker. Pour in Tequila, orange liquor, lime juice, agave, and jalapeno cucumber juice. Cover and shake for 30 seconds. Pour contents into salt rimmed glass. Garnish with a wedge of lime.

1 ounce Campari
1 ounce Sweet Vermouth
1 ounce Prosecco or any dry sparkling wine
Orange peel or wheel for garnish

In a rocks or lowball glass, add Campari, sweet vermouth, and ice. Top with prosecco and stir gently to combine. Garnish with orange peel or wheel.

I love my cocktails and I hope you do too!

Whiskey + Maple Syrup Sour
Author: Julia Turshen from her book Small Victories

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp whiskey
• A few dashes of Angostura bitters
• Ice cubes for serving

Optional additions

• ¼ cup [60 ml] seltzer water
• 1 egg white

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, lemon juice, whiskey, and bitters.
2. Fill a highball glass to the top with ice and pour the whiskey mixture into it. Top with the seltzer and give it a stir. Serve immediately.

**If using egg white (which is traditional for this drink) put in a shaker with all the ingredients and the ice. Leave the seltzer out and top of the cocktail once it is in the glass.

Quarantini
https://thenovicechefblog.com/quarantini/
INGREDIENTS
3 oz vodka (or gin)
2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon honeyOPTIONAL:
1 packet powdered vitamin c or EmergenC
INSTRUCTIONS

• Add 2 cups ice to a cocktail shaker.
• Add vodka, lemon juice and honey to shaker.
• Shake, and then strain into a chilled martini glass.
• Garnish with a lemon twist if desired.
• ADDING VITAMIN C: If you want to add vitamin c, you can add it directly to the shaker when you add the rest of the ingredients or you can rim the chilled martini glass with vitamin c

I served this punch at my recent garden tour and so many of you asked for the recipe.  

Serves 8
2 cups cranberry juice (unsweetened if possible)
¼ cup frozen limeade
1 tsp. rose water or to taste
4 cups seltzer(or to taste)
Ice
Rose Petals for garnish
(use only petals that are not treated with pesticides)

1. Combine cranberry juice, limeade, and rose water. 
2. Just before serving add the seltzer.  Finish with rose petals and ice. 

 
Enough for a party:
​1 1/2 gallon:
32 ounces cranberry or pomagranate juice (unsweetened)
1 can frozen limeade
2 liter seltzer
2-3 tablespoons rose water (to taste)
1 5-pound bag of ice.  

Serves 8

2 quarts water
1 cup pearl barley
1 Tbs dried lavender*
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 Tbs honey, or to taste


1.    Place water in a heavy pot with the barley and bring to a boil. 
2.    Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
3.    After 30 minutes turn off the heat.  Add the lavender and steep for 5 minutes. 
4.    Strain the barley tea into a container and set barley aside for use in a salad.
5.    Mix in the lemon juice and honey, stirring well.  Let the lemonade cool and refrigerate until chilled.  Serve well chilled over ice.

Notes:
·         Any flavored loose leafed tea may be substituted.
·         Use frozen lemonade if you’d like instead of the lemon juice and honey.
·         Add soda water for a refreshing fizz.
·         Use cooked barley for breakfast, a grain and vegetable salad, or as a substitute for cooked rice.