foraged friday cocktail
Mar 13, 2009 When we were in the park the other day, all the clover (or what I thought was clover) had gone to bloom, and some guy was chomping on a stalk. When I asked him if it was bitter, he passed it over to me to try. I think my husband was slightly horrified when I actually bit the end of the same stalk this stranger had been chewing.
Maybe my first thought should have been: communicable diseases? But instead, it was: cocktail! It had this great, grassy, lemony, tart-sour taste. And what can I say, I was raised on chicken thawed in direct sunlight, and I still like to keep my immune system on its toes. So on a hike last weekend, I grabbed a bunch of stalks and set out to concoct a new drink.
After my husband urged me to make sure it wasn’t poisonous, I consulted our wildflower book and realized this plant is the dreaded oxalis – a “cute beast from hell” as one informative website puts it. My sister can attest to this: apparently it’s incredibly invasive and stubborn as all get-out in a lawn.
It’s also called wood sorrel, or sourgrass. And lo and behold, it can be made into tea or ointment that might help with urinary tract infections, but if you eat a lot of it, its acid could mean trouble for your digestive system. Therein lies the wonder and the confusion of the Internet.
With poison concerns laid to rest, it was onto how to best capture its bright green taste. A culinary and drink-savvy friend instructed me to delicately muddle the stalks with a little sugar. This apparently calls for a muddler, and I stumbled into a strange world of drink muddlers. Rosewood, maple, cherry, stainless steel, plastic…who knew? But a foraged drink ingredient doesn't necessitate a new kitchen implement in my world. Pyrex and a old chopstick rest dredged from a kitchen drawer easily handled the task.
Add gin, tonic, and lime and you've got springtime in a glass. And maybe a bellyache. But so far, so good.
Reader Comments (6)
You are the coolest. Why can't I meet people like you in real life? My mother thawed the chicken in direct sunlight for over 8 hours while we were at school, so it always makes me laugh when someone freaks out about putting something in the fridge 2.2 seconds after it's been at room temp. Making Clover Cocktails is something we (the nerds) would have never thought of, but G E N I U S. The next thing you know someone will start packaging "clover" and selling it super expensive. So get your clover while it's free everyone.
No, it won't actually be clover, it'll be *clover water* and have a pretentious label to make it worth 2.50 for like 8 oz. HEHEH.
as a graphic designer I want to design the label, I'll take the 50cents per bottle ok? :)
I think this sounds fabulous ... I'm going to have to search some out. I had a great martini the other day - strawberry/basil. Veeery basil-y and very good.
I love this post! So cute. AND I love oxalis. I didn't realize it was invasive, but I grew up chewing on those stems, laying in the warm grass in my backyard. I haven't tasted it since I was a kid though!
when i was smaller i would wander at my favorite park in search of the sourgrass and chomp away on the ends, toes tingling from the sensation flooding my mouth.
i think this new suggested use sounds like a good 'grown up' way to bring back that time. and you reminded me that it is high time i showed my boys patches when we next visit that park.
i love this! brave girl! we have all kinds of herbs in our tiny garden that have made their way into cocktails, but I never would have considered oxalis. and i think there's a crop out there now....