Blueberry Basil Two Ways
Ingredients
1 pint of blueberries
1 bunch of basil
1 scoop of ricotta cheese
Bruschettini crackers or small slices of baguette
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
1.5 ounces of gin
1 ounce of citrus juice
sparkling water
Instructions
To start preparing the blueberry jam: Add blueberries and a dash of water/sugar to a sauce pot on the stove. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chopped basil leaves and let simmer for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat and save half of the mixture for a jam, the rest will become a blueberry simple syrup.
To make the simple syrup add remaining water and sugar and bring to a boil again. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Strain mixture into a jar and allow to cool fully.
To make the appetizer: Top crackers or bread with ricotta, blueberry basil jam and fresh basil. Add a few sprinkles of flakey salt.
To make the cocktail add 1 ounce of blueberry basil simple syrup, 1.5 ounces of gin, 1 ounce of citrus juice, and ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake well and pour into a glass with ice. Top with seltzer water and a garnish of fresh basil.