Maximize the square footage you have by turning it into a multi-use space that combines Proven Harvest™ plants with edible flowers in your patio containers. We took Gardener’s Supply Company’s suggestion to “grow your own happy hour” in their eight-foot-long, reclaimed wood outdoor planter bar by filling it with aromatic herbs and strawberries that can be conveniently plucked for craft cocktails.
Check out the irresistible happy hour food and drink recipes below!
Strawberry-Basil Bourbon Smash
Makes 1 Serving
Ingredients
1/4 cup sliced strawberries
3-4 basil leaves
1 1/2 oz bourbon
1-2 teaspoons honey or agave
Juice of half a lemon
Sparkling water
Lemon slices for garnish
1. Place the strawberries, basil, lemon juice and honey in a heavy bottomed glass and muddle thoroughly.
2. Add bourbon, ice and top with sparkling water.
3. Give it a stir until all the ingredients have combined and garnish with lemon. Enjoy!
Lemon-Honey Goat Cheese With Edible Flowers
Serves 10-20 People
Ingredients
24 oz plain goat cheese
Zest and juice of one lemon
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1-2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup milk
Dash of sea salt
1 cup fresh edible flowers
1. Place the goat cheese, lemon zest and juice, vinegar and milk in a bowl and using a fork, mix until combined completely.
2. Add honey and salt to taste and mix once again. Using a spatula, scoop the cheese mix onto a plate and smooth into the desired shape.
3. Decorate the cheese and plate with your edible flowers. Serve with bread or crackers and enjoy!
Agua Fresca
Yields About 8 Servings
Ingredients
4 cups ripe strawberries
Juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup basil leaves
6 cups water
2 cups crushed ice
1/3 cup agave
1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Garnish with slices of strawberries or basil leaves and enjoy!
Grilled Flatbread With Pesto & Fire Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients
1 premade pizza crust
1 cup pesto
8 oz burrata or mozzarella
3-5 ripe tomatoes
1 ripe peach
A handfull of fresh arugula or spinach
Good quality olive oil
Sea salt
1. Start up your grill. While the grill heats up, cut tomatoes in half and sprinkle each side with salt. Once the grill is hot, brush the tomatoes with olive oil and grill for 5-10 min flipping them over halfway through. Repeat these steps with the pitted peach.
2. Place grilled tomatoes and peach in a bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap to steam. After a few minutes, the skins should be easy to peel. Peel the skins, slice into 1/2” slices and set aside.
3. Roll or stretch out the pizza dough. Brush it with olive oil and place on the hot grill for 1-3 minutes on each side until it is cooked and has nice char marks.
4. Remove crust from grill and assemble the pizza. Start by spreading out the pesto, then the peach and tomato slices. Next slice or rip up the cheese and spread it evenly. Finish by sprinkling the greens and salt to taste and drizzling with olive oil. Slice and enjoy!
Strawberry Rhubarb Margarita
Yields About 8 Servings
Ingredients
6-10 rhubarb stems chopped
4 cups strawberries, washed and trimmed
1/2-1 cup cane sugar or agave syrup
1 cup lime juice
1 1/2 cups tequila
3/4 cup triple sec
Crushed ice
Coarse salt and lime wedges for salt rims (optional)
1. Using a sharp knife or peeler peel off rhubarb skins in thin strands and set aside for garnish.
2. Rub the rims of your glasses with lime wedges and dip in the salt to rim.
3. Place chopped rhubarb, 1/2 c lime juice and sweetener in a sauce pan. Cook on medium heat until the consistency of a chunky jam and set aside to cool.
4. Place cooled rhubarb mixture, strawberries, remaining lime juice, tequila and triple sec in a blender and blend until smooth. Add ice and water and blend to your preference. Pour into your prepared glasses and garnish with rhubarb twirls and enjoy!
Fire Roasted Salsa
Yields About 3 Cups
Ingredients
6 ripe tomatoes
2 ears of corn
1 poblano pepper
1 small yellow onion
1-2 jalapeños
2 limes
A splash of apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt to taste
1. Start up your grill. While the grill heats up prep the veggies. Cut the tomatoes in half, sprinkle each side with salt and set aside. Cut the onion in half leaving the skin on. Shuck the corn, boil for 3 minutes and set aside.
2. Once the grill is hot, brush all the veggies down with olive oil and grill for 10-15 min flipping them over halfway through. Grill the peppers for a bit longer than the rest letting them char on all sides.
3. Place grilled tomatoes and peppers in a bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap to steam. After a few minutes, the skins should be easy to peel. Peel the skins, deseed the peppers and dice.
4. Cut the corn off the cob and add to the tomatoes and peppers. Remove the skin from the onion, dice and add to the mix.
5. Add the vinegar, lime juice, cilantro and salt. Mix well and enjoy!
Amazel™ Basil Ocimum
Italian Sweet Basil
Berried Treasure™ Red Fragaria
Everbearing Strawberry
‘Garden Treasure’ Lycopersicon
Great Slicing Tomato
‘Garden Gem’ Lycopersicon
Excellent Snacking Tomato
Edible Flowers We Planted
Plant List (Left to Right)
Herbs We Planted With Edible Blooms
Plant List (Left to Right)
GROW WHAT YOU EAT
Start by thinking about the kinds of foods you like to eat, and the kinds of drinks you like to make, and let that inform your plant choices.
LIGHT AND WATER
Keep light and water needs in mind when combining many plants in the same planter, as they are going to be getting roughly the same treatment. Luckily, many herbs and vegetables require similar levels of light and water.
GIVE BIG PLANTS SPACE
Some compact varieties of tomatoes could thrive in a raised bed like the planter bar, but we chose to plant them in separate containers nearby to give them more space.
RESEARCH WHAT YOU EAT
There are many edible flowers, many more than we listed here. Here is a link to an in-depth list of edible flowers. Use care when identifying and eating edible flowers, as some have not-so-edible lookalikes, or are not safe to consume in large quantities, and some others may have been treated with pesticides.
Follow the Link to Visit Gardener’s Supply Company Planter Bar Page
