I volunteer with Jill downtown every weekend, and given that the Derby is on Saturdays when I am working with her, I wanted to bring us down a little treat to commemorate the special occasion. In an effort to not incriminate ourselves for sneaking in some treats, I will not reveal the actual location of my volunteer work, but rather just say that it is in a beautiful and historic building downtown overlooking the water- a vague description for the Newport area! :-) But I digress…
I had given Jill a heads up that I would be bringing us a little something, and what goes better with Derby day than Mint Juleps? Given that I have been bartending on and off for the past seven years in various capacities, I knew a couple of these traditional beauties would be the perfect fit. I love the freshness of the mint coupled with the bite of bourbon and the sweetness of the simple syrup- it really is the perfect Southern drink! Having made Juleps a few times in my day, I employ a couple of tricks (infusing the simple syrup with mint first, a splash of ginger ale to lighten up the bourbon) to make them refreshing and crisp.
I wanted to couple the Juleps with a little snack that has always screamed “spring” to me, so my natural go to was Deviled Eggs. My mother has always makes these for Memorial Day and throughout the summer season, and as the mercury has slowly been creeping up the thermometer in Newport, I thought it would make a great pairing. I deviated a bit from my standard recipe for the eggs to incorporate fresh herbs from my container garden, and they turned out perfectly- not too heavy, with plenty of brightness from the herbs. Using a fork to “whip” the filling helped to create a lighter texture as well.
Although neither of our horses won (her Sidney’s Candy was 17th and my poor Backtalk came in last!) we had a great treat to enjoy while enjoying the Derby preview and watching the boats in Newport harbor wake up from a long winter.
Running of the Roses Mint Juleps-½ Cup organic sugar
- ½ Cup water
- Medium bunch of fresh mint leaves
- 10 oz. Kentucky bourbon (Jim Beam is my go to fella)
- 2oz. (or so) Ginger ale
-Crushed ice
Combine water and sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Heat well until sugar is fully dissolved and mixture reduces slightly. Remove from heat, tear ½ of mint leaves and stir into syrup and pour into a good sized pitcher (or jar with tight fitting lid if taking to another location to watch the race!). Pour in bourbon and ginger ale and stir well (or shake if in jar) to combine and dissolve sugar. Fill small glasses with crushed ice and top off each with half of the remaining mint leaves torn up. Pour julep mix over ice and stir. Garnish with a sprig of mint, sip & enjoy.
Derby Day Deviled Eggs(proportions are for 3 people)
- 6 Large fresh organic eggs
- 1 ½ - 2 Tblspns chopped fresh herbs (I used a mix of dill, flat leaf parsley and arugula)
-1 Heaping Tblspn finely minced shallot or sweet onion
- 1 ½ Tbspns English cucumber, seeded & diced small
- 2-3 Tblspns mayonnaise
- Sea salt- Fresh cracked pepper
Place eggs in the bottom of a sauce pan, cover eggs with water and place on stovetop over medium-high heat. When water reaches a boil, turn off heat and set pan aside for 10-12 minutes. While timing, prepare an ice bath in a bowl large enough to hold eggs. Remove eggs from pan and place in ice bath for a few minutes until cool enough to handle. Peel eggs, slice in half lengthwise, remove yolk and place in a small bowl. Combine yolks with all other ingredients & season to taste with salt & pepper. Using a dinner fork (or small whisk if you have one), whip a little air into yolk mixture for lighter consistency. Spoon mixture back into eggs, dust with smoked paprika (optional) and serve or stash in refrigerator until ready to serve.
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