Blueberry Lavender Tonic
I have always loved flavored drinks ever since I was a kid-- there wasn't a strawberry lemonade or a fruity soda I didn't like. But as I grew up and began to love cooking and baking, I came to understand the incredible fresh flavors of REAL foods. The amazing flavor combinations you can create when playing with fresh produce and herbs really blows my mind-- and this is exactly why I am obsessed with the farmer's market, as you guys know through my farmer's market photos of cherishing all that gorgeous produce!
This is why I am literally jumping out of my pants excited for my upcoming trip to Seattle with The Feedfeed + Cascadian Farm, to go visit their gorgeous farm right by the Skagit River to see all the magic happen for myself (and don't even get me started on my love for Seattle + the PNW)!! I am so excited that I go get to see this organic farm during the beautiful autumn to see how this socially conscious company helps produce thoughtful food.
As a little teaser, Cascadian Farm sent me some of their Organic Frozen Blueberries to try out in a fun little recipe. I accidentally left one of the bags out and let the blueberries get a little melty, so I turned that bag into a classic chia jam-- and OH my goodness, I wasn't expecting those blueberries to be quite so magical! First of all, they stayed really plump and intact during the jam-making process (which is rare!), but the fresh flavor was absolutely unreal. They tasted just like fresh farmer's market berries at peak season, so I immediately thought about making a refreshing drink with some ingredients inspired by the farmer's market summer bounty.
I came up with this magical little Blueberry Lavender Tonic-- it could not be a simpler drink to put together, but the herbacious notes with the fresh burst of blueberry flavors are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser AND it makes you look like one heck of a sophisticated host 😊You don't need any crazy ingredients when using real food, because it's never boring when used creatively-- it's the perfectly imperfect beauty of nature's seasonal flavors that do the job all on its own!
Blueberry Lavender Tonic
Makes 2 drinks; Gluten-free, Dairy-free
Ingredients
1 cup Cascadian Farm Organic Frozen Blueberries, thawed
2 cups plain Sparkling Seltzer
Juice from 2 large lemons
1 tbsp dried Lavender
Handful of Mint leaves
Ice cubes
*optional handful of Sage leaves to add extra herby flavor
*optional 1 tbsp of honey or maple syrup to sweeten
Recipe
1. In a small bowl, combine Cascadian Farm Organic Frozen Blueberries, lemon juice, lavender (reserve a bit for garnish), mint leaves, and optional sweetener. Using a muddler or back of a fork, muddle berries until blueberries are moderately smushed.
2. In two glasses, divide the blueberry mixture + juices. Add ice cubes to glass (+ optional sage leaves), and pour sparkling seltzer on top. Garnish with additional lavender and herbs, and serve!
Cheers!
Special thanks to Cascadian Farms + The Feedfeed for partnering on this recipe post, and thanks to you guys for supporting the brands that make this content possible!
