Friends of China Camp

Summer’s here, and with it come warm days and long evenings—especially magical if you’re camping or enjoying a picnic overlooking the bay at China Camp. If you like to kick back at the end of the day with a tall glass of something delicious, consider one of these creative (and nonalcoholic) coolers. Prep the ingredients at home (such as juicing or slicing fruit and making simple syrup), then bring them to your camp for easy assembly. Cheers!

ICED HIBISCUS TEA WITH LEMONGRASS, BASIL, AND HONEY

Ingredients

• 5 cups water
• 1 lemongrass stalk thinly sliced, plus more stalks for serving
• ¼ cup honey or more to taste
• ½ cup dried hibiscus flowers
• ¾ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves plus more for serving
• ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice plus lime slices for serving

Steps

1. In a medium-size pot, bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat and add sliced lemongrass, honey, hibiscus flowers, and basil. Cover and steep for 20 minutes. Strain into a pitcher (discard the steeped leaves and flowers).
2. Stir in lime juice and taste; add more honey if desired. Chill. Serve over ice with a fresh lemongrass stalk, basil and lime.

Adapted from halfbakedharvest.com .

PINEAPPLE COCONUT WATER

Ingredients

• ¾ cup pineapple juice
• ½ cup pure coconut water
• ½ teaspoon pure ginger juice
• honey or agave syrup (optional, to taste)
• Juice of 1-2 limes
• 1 lime, cut into very thin slices

Steps

1. Combine pineapple juice, coconut water, and ginger juice. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. (You can also use a Mason jar with a tightly fitting lid.) Shake well. Taste; if desired, you can add a touch of sweetness with honey or agave syrup.
2. Fill glasses with lots of ice cubes; add a few lime slices to each glass. Pour pineapple coconut water into glasses, and finish with an extra squeeze of lime.

Adapted from 101cookbooks.com .

TANGERINE ROSEMARY MOCKTAIL

Make the simple syrup and juice tangerines and lemons at home and bring them container with a tightly fitted lid. (Mason jars work well.)

Ingredients

• ¼ cup fresh squeezed tangerine juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon rosemary simple syrup (recipe below)
• 2 tablespoons lemon-lime soda (optional)
• club soda
• Garnish: 1 tangerine, unpeeled and cut into thin slices; fresh rosemary sprigs

Steps

1. Fill a tall glass with ice. Add juices and simple syrup. For a sweeter drink, add the lemon-lime soda.
2. Top off with club soda, and stir.
3. Garnish with a slice of tangerine and a rosemary sprig.

Rosemary Simple Syrup

Ingredients

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary

Steps

1. In a small saucepan, combine water, sugar, and rosemary. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Remove from heat and let sit for about 10 minutes.
3. Strain out rosemary and let the syrup cool completely.
4. Store in a tightly lidded jar or bottle in the refrigerator.

Adapted from themerrythought.com .

BLACKBERRY LIMEADE

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh blackberries (or unsweetened frozen blackberries, thawed) plus extra for serving
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 kaffir lime leaf, crushed, or 1 tablespoon grated lime zest
• 1 green cardamom pod, lightly crushed
• 8 to 12 Key limes, juiced (you should have about ½ cup juice)
• Thin lime slices, for serving
• 2 cups ginger ale or sparkling water
• Ice cubes

1. Lay a doubled piece of cheesecloth on a nonporous work area. (A cookie sheet works well.) Place the blackberries on top of the cheesecloth and gather into a bundle like a hobo sack. Hold the sack of berries over a non-plastic bowl. (Do not use a plastic bowl unless you don’t care about stains.) Twist the top of the sack to squeeze the juice from the berries into the receptacle. (You should have about 1 cup of juice.) Discard cheesecloth and mashed berries. Chill the juice.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, 1 cup water, the lime leaf or zest, and the cardamom pod. Bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is reduced to a thin syrup. Remove the lime leaf and cardamom. Cool syrup, then chill in the refrigerator.
3. Juice enough limes to yield ½ cup juice. Cut remaining limes into thin slices.
4. In a 1-quart pitcher, combine the blackberry juice, sugar syrup, and lime juice. Stir to combine and then refrigerate until cold.
5. To serve, stir the ginger ale or sparkling water into a pitcher, fill and pour in the blackberry limeade. Fill tall glasses with ice, add a few lime slices to each glass, and pour in the limeade.

Adapted from 101cookbooks.com .

—compiled by Harriot Manley/FOCC volunteer