Last weekend, Alex and I took a trip to Bloomington, Indiana: home of our alma mater and our dear friend Shelly, the very talented lady behind both the magazine Driftless and Vegetarian Ventures. Since Alex and I were in town for a wedding that afternoon, the three of us arranged to meet up for a quick picnic in the park beforehand. We each prepared a few recipes in advance and met at the grocery to buy some remaining ingredients: mainly bread, cheese, and chocolate (of course).
Everything was simple and came together wonderfully, as if we’d planned it thoughtfully in days in advance (though we were mainly winging it). Alex had the idea to make a drink with some lavender from our garden; he first created a simple syrup with lemon and lavender, then at the picnic site combined a few tablespoons of the syrup with some sparkling water and sliced strawberries. It was fragrant and refreshing; a fantastic signature drink to accompany our picnic.
I love these bright and sunny photos Alex captured of the day — the drinks in the grass remind me of the whimsical style of Erin of Forest Feast for sure. We plan to share the remainder of the picnic menu and photos this week; in the meantime, check out Shelly’s beautiful photos of the day here!
- 3 large sprigs lavender, plus more for garnish
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sparkling water per drink
- 1 strawberry per drink
- In a small pot, combine 3 large sprigs lavender, zest of ½ lemon, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup water. Simmer for 15 minutes, making sure that it does not boil. Cool slightly. (Note: Lasts for 1 to 2 weeks refrigerated.)
- To assemble each drink: combine 1 to 2 tablespoons simple syrup with 1 cup sparkling water. Garnish with sliced strawberries and a small sprig of lavender.