Cold Brew Coffee With a Twist... of Lemon

One of my favourite ways to have coffee is coldly brewed.  I first tried it at Blue Bottle Coffee in San Francisco.  It was enlightening.  I kept going back, emptying my pockets, for that fantastic candy-like slow brew coffee; begging the baristas, "Hey can I order a double cold brew?  Or, like, a litre of it?" I had to find out how to make this at home.  I shopped for weeks, but all the cold brewers for a couple hundred dollars.  Then I found what I was looking for.  The >>Bruer<<

It makes cold brew coffee easy and accessible.

I want to share my recipe for sweet, tasty, candy-like cold brewed coffee.

1. Start with a high quality bean: something naturally processed and/or Ethiopian.  Other beans can work, but I prefer a light roast.
2. It's perfect by itself, but I like to add a bit of citrus peel to boost the sweetness and add another dimension of flavour.  These are meyer lemons from my trees.
3. I brew, almost exactly, according to the Bruer instructions: 50g-60g medium ground coffee.

I like to serve it by diluting it slightly and pouring it over ice.  Also, mixing in a 50:50 ratio of coffee:Perrier.  It's the taste of summer!

Lemony Kale

Kale from the garden and meyer lemon from my trees!  Lemony kale salad is a quick easy and healthy side dish. First, wash, dry and tear the kale into bite sized pieces.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with a pinch of salt.  Then, squeeze in a bit of fresh lemon juice and mix gently.

Last, I like to add a bit of tarragon for an extra flavour dimension.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Lemon poppy seed bread is the perfect thing to have with coffee or tea!  Its sweet-tart flavour makes it a wonderful accompaniment. I taste tested this recipe with non-vegans - they loved it!

This recipe was inspired by the Joy of Cooking cookbook.  First mix together flax meal and water and blend until thick.  This is a perfect substitute for eggs.  I also added a bit of homemade soy youghurt.  In the stead of butter, I used grape seed oil, but you could certainly use margarine or Earth Balance.

Mix all the wet ingredients, a bit of lemon juice, sugar and lemon zest.  Mix the dry ingredients together and add them to the wet ingredients.

I only added a bit of poppy seed to the batter, reserving most of them to coat the pan.  It gives a delightful crust and helps the bread release easily from the pan.  Simply coat the pan with cooking spray and sprinkle in the seeds.

Pour the batter in the pan and bake at 350˚F until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  While still hot, glaze the cake with a thick mixture of lemon juice and icing sugar.