Show #16/7203. Taking An Active Role In Growing And Foraging What We Eat

A Refreshing Drink Made With Fresh Ingredients

Eric next meets Abby Powell, the beverage mixologist and comments no great meal is complete without its complementary beverage. Beverage and food are intertwined, they can play off each other. Thinking about them as a pairing component, adding layers of flavor to what we're experiencing is so important. It really elevates the whole dining experience. One of Eric's favorite components in any meal is a well-made cocktail. Eric knows that's Abby's specialty and that she has put together a beautiful cocktail. Please talk our viewers through how you made this wonderful drink. One thing they love to do at the Barn is eat outside and have wonderful picnics. Abby thinks the perfect thing to serve at a picnic is a summer sangria. Here she made a tarragon herb syrup. She got the tarragon from the garden and made a simple syrup. Really, all sangria is is leftover wine and some yummy syrup and a little splash of orange liqueur. That's what she did here. She cut up some fresh seasonal figs, added peaches and grapes are always a nice addition to add a little crunch. Abby loves using a large ice cube in sangria because you can really see all the fruit and you don't get too much dilution. They always garnish at the Barn with fresh herbs, so added fresh tarragon from the garden and as well stirred in some nasturtium flowers. Eric thinks this is wonderful sangria. Sangria can sometimes get a bad rap, but that's not fair, not fair at all. Sangria can be delicious. Abby thinks the key is good ingredients - fresh herbs and your own simple syrups. One can craft their own syrups. Cheap wine is okay because you're adding more to it. And it really pairs well with fried chicken, potato chips, anything you might have at a picnic. Eric loves the way that Abby is incorporating the garden. The fresh ingredients are so important, they really do elevate a cocktail. It's just one more reason why we need to garden.