Fruit In Lemon Verbena Syrup Food

FRUIT IN LEMON-VERBENA SYRUP

Steps:

• Put fruit in a large bowl and gently toss with 1/2 cup sugar, then let stand 20 minutes.
• Rub verbena sprigs in your hands to bruise leaves and stems, then combine with water and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Simmer 1 minute, then remove from heat and let steep, covered, 5 minutes.
• Stir lemon juice into warm syrup and pour through a medium-mesh sieve over fruit. Discard verbena sprigs and gently stir fruit. Let macerate at room temperature 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Divide among 8 soup plates.

ROASTED-FRUIT SALAD WITH LEMON VERBENA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat sugar, lemon verbena, and corn syrup in large straight-sided ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until sugar melts, about 3 minutes. Place Pluots, plums, and apricots, cut sides down, on top of sugar mixture, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar mixture is liquid and bubbling.
• Transfer skillet to oven, and roast until fruits are soft but not mushy, 4 to 4 1/2 minutes. Remove from oven, and swirl in butter and cream. Drizzle fruit with sauce, and garnish with lemon verbena sprigs.

LEMON VERBENA AND SUMMER FRUIT GELéE

Steps:

• Rub verbena sprigs in your hands to bruise leaves and stems, then combine sprigs with wine and 3/4 cup sugar in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 1 hour.
• While verbena mixture steeps, finely grind verbena leaves with remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor or an electric coffee/spice grinder. Gently toss fruit with verbena sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a bowl. Let stand while verbena syrup finishes steeping.
• Sprinkle gelatin over water and let soften 1 minute. Meanwhile, reheat verbena syrup until hot, then stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in macerated fruit with juices and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Chill in an ice bath, stirring occasionally, until cool and thickened (the texture of raw egg whites) but not set, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Very lightly oil baking pan with vegetable oil (not necessary if pan is nonstick or if using individual glasses).
• Pour gelée into baking pan and chill in refrigerator until set, at least 3 hours.
• To unmold, dip pan in a larger pan of hot water 5 to 10 seconds to loosen. Invert onto a serving plate (do not unmold if using individual glasses). Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

LEMON VERBENA SYRUP

Steps:

• In large stainless-steel pot, combine the wine, water and sugar. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to a low boil and cook about 10 minutes, until the syrup reduces by half, to 3 cups. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon verbena leaves, cover pan halfway and let steep until cool.
• Transfer to a capped bottle or covered bowl and refrigerate, for as long as a week. Strain lemon verbena leaves from the chilled syrup before using it as a sweetener for lemonade or ice tea, as a base for a spritzer or as a topping for cut fresh fruit.

LEMON VERBENA AND HERBAL SIMPLE SYRUPS FOR LEMONADE ETC!

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine water and sugar. Bring to boiling over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Add one of the infusions; boil gently, uncovered, for 2 minutes more.
• Remove from heat; cover and cool in saucepan for 1 hour. Remove and discard infusion ingredients.
• Transfer syrup to a clean covered storage container. Refrigerate up to 2 weeks, or may be frozen. Makes 2 cups syrup.
• VARIATIONS:.
• VANILLA INFUSION: Add one fresh vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, to the hot sugar-water mixture. If desired, after cooling, remove the vanilla bean and use the tip of a small knife to scrape the seeds from the beans into the syrup (flecks of dark seeds will color the crystal-clear syrup).
• FRESH HERB INFUSION: Add three 3-to-4-inch sprigs fresh rosemary; 3/4 cup lemon-verbena or mint leaves, slightly crushed; or 3/4 cup basil leaves, slightly crushed, to the hot sugar-water mixture.
• LEMON-GINGER INFUSION: Add three 1x3-inch strips of lemon peel and a 1-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced, to the hot sugar-water mixture.

LEMON VERBENA SIMPLE SYRUP

Steps:

• Combine water, sugar, and lemon verbena leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let syrup steep, about 30 minutes.
• Pour syrup into a sterilized glass jar through a mesh strainer to remove lemon verbena leaves; let cool.

FRESH FRUIT WITH LEMON VERBENA SIMPLE SYRUP

Steps:

• Simple syrup: combine the water and sugar in a small pan and bring to the boil.
• Boil mixture until it is reduced by half.
• Stir in the lemon verbena leaves. Set aside to allow verbena leaves to infuse and the mixture to cool completely.
• Salad: Prep the fruit and arrange on a large shallow platter.
• Once the simple syrup is cool, use a fine mesh strainer and drizzle the syrup all over the fruit.
• *Garnish fruit with a few fresh lemon verbena leaves. Or cover and chill until ready to serve.
• *Tip: fresh lemon verbena leaves wilt quickly. Garnish the fruit platter with freshly cut lemon verbena leaves [just] before serving.
• Yield is estimated.