Making The Most Of A Summer Garden
STUDIO CITY (CBSLA.com) — Cooking in the summer can be more fun when the ingredients are taken fresh out of the backyard.
Chris and Peyton Lambton of HGTV's "Going Yard" visited KCAL9 Thursday to discuss sustainable gardening and how to get the most out of summer gardens.
» More From HGTV's "Going Yard"
The outdoor living experts showed that planting herbs, vegetables and fruit doesn't have to be a huge production. Opting for colorful pots is a great way to decorate the backyard and takes up very little space. Plants like tomatoes, cilantro, basil and mint do well in pots and are easy to maintain.
The Lambton's also shared some recipes for fresh summer cocktails using ingredients from the garden:
Drink #1: Watermelon Mint Margarita
- To make, pull apart two large mint leaves and place in glass with ice.
- In a shaker, combine 1.5 ounces premium silver tequila (Agave uses Herradura Silver), 3 ounces fresh watermelon pulp, 0.5 ounce fresh lime juice and a splash of sweet & sour. Shake and pour over ice, and garnish with a lime.
Drink #2: Minty Cucumber Gin & Tonic
- Gardening app Sprout it came up with this combo that uses primarily garden-fresh ingredients: In the bottom of a highball glass, muddle a few fresh mint leaves and some thinly sliced English cucumber.
- Fill glass with ice, pour in two ounces of gin (they like Watershed's Bourbon Barrel gin) and top with tonic. "Stir once and garnish with mint and a lime wedge," says a spokesman.
Drink #3: Flavored waters
- For a refreshing and tasty way to stay hydrated this summer, we love adding sliced citrus and herbs such as basil, rosemary or thyme to a pitcher of water in your fridge. It's tasty without a lot of fuss or unnecessary calories!
Props List:
- Colorful ice cube trays
- Pitcher with infusing core
- Drinking glasses
- Fresh potted Herbs: cilantro, basil, rosemary, mint, thyme
- Salsa Garden: Tomatoes, Hot Peppers
- Gardening sheers
- Gardening gloves (x3)
- Food processor
- Knife and cutting board
- Drink ingredients
