PHOTOGRAPH BY MARK LOADER
Basil Cucumber Cooler with Borage Flowers
Call me obsessed. Ever since I first popped a borage flower into my mouth, while reporting the story I wrote on Mill River Farm for this issue, I’ve been smitten with this plant. It’s new to me, and I must warn you that it’s not so easy to find at your local nursery. Next year, I’ll grow my own from seed.So, what’s the big deal about borage? Those delicate little bluish-purple star-shaped flowers on our cover are not only beautiful but delicious: They taste like cucumber. Who knew? Borage is also purported to have some medicinal qualities, but it’s most commonly used by gardeners to attract pollinators. I dearly hoped to capture one of our thousands of honey bees feasting on my newly acquired borage (thank you, Maddie, at Mill River Farm!), which I planted in a grow bag next to my raised beds. Alas, the bees apparently had a prior commitment.Nonetheless, I was very much taken with the idea of using borage (and other in-season plants) in a summer cocktail suitable for sipping on a toasty summer evening while sitting on the front porch. So, by the authority vested in me by a summer bartending class taken at Berkshire Community College 45 years ago, I offer you the following:
Ingredients
- 2 slices of cucumber
- 6 borage flowers (three for muddling, three for garnish)
- 2 small borage leaves (careful, they’re prickly!)
- 2–3 basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon simple syrup
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1½ ounces vodka (or gin, if you prefer)
- Plain seltzer
Instructions
- Add to a cocktail shaker: the cucumber, 3 borage flowers, borage leaves, simple syrup, and lime juice. Muddle gently. Add vodka or gin and a handful of ice cubes. Shake until your hands become uncomfortably cold. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice and top with seltzer. Garnish with basil, cucumber, or lime, and float the remaining borage flowers in the drink.
- You can also add borage flowers to your ice cubes by filling a tray halfway, freezing for a few hours, then placing a flower in each cube and filling the tray to the top. For a no-alcohol version, just skip the booze. And what if you don’t have borage? Just add a bit more cucumber to your muddling and garnish with a lovely nasturtium instead. Enjoy!
