houston Archives | sweet miscellany

It’s no secret that I love supporting local agriculture and businesses. Being a former small business owner, I understand how important it is to have the support of your community. So, when the opportunity came up to work with new farm Loam Agronomics, I obviously jumped at the chance! Loam is about 30 miles from my house (I know because I drove there to see the operation in all its glory). They are a sustainable operation in the process of obtaining organic certification. And, they not only care about the veggies they grow, but the soil they grow them in! I love how transparent they are with sharing information about the farm and practices and can’t wait to see how they grow.

I’ll be working with Loam in the coming weeks to create recipes for their CSA members to inspire them to cook with what’s in the share that week. Shares for the public will be ready to go out beginning in late March. I’ve already had the privilege of receiving one so I can personally attest to the quality and beauty of the goods. In fact, you can see some of what was in my share along with the farm in the photos in this post.

Muddled Blueberry Basil Kombucha Float (vegan/gf recipe) | seasonal plant-based recipes via The sweet Miscellany Blog

Muddled blueberries and basil add a summery flavor to this kombucha float made with vegan vanilla ice cream. Enjoy this vegan and gluten free sweet treat during the summer when you need a little pick-me-up!

I have found my official beverage/dessert/pick-me-up for the summer! And it’s so incredibly simple you might laugh. Or you might smack your head for not having thought of it before now! I love kombucha and I love some good vegan ice cream. So, I put the two together into a float! To add some fresh summer flavor I muddled some blueberries and basil in the bottom of the glass. And voila! You have a simple summer treat that satisfies your sweet tooth and gives your gut a good dose of healthy probiotics.

Do you guys like kombucha? I think it went through a bit of a fad phase (or maybe it is still in one) but it’s for a good reason. In case you are not familiar with it, kombucha is fermented tea. The fermenting process allows for the growth of beneficial bacteria and yeast in the tea aka probiotics. Eating foods containing probiotics, or even taking probiotic supplements is important because we need bacterial diversity in our digestive system to be optimally healthy. Aside from kombucha, you can try other fermented foods like miso, tempeh, pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir.

Through my experience I’ve found that I’m pretty particular about my kombucha. I prefer one that is low in sugar and very fizzy (this means it has fermented longer). If you’re in Texas, I recommend Kickin’ Kombucha (made in Houston), Kosmic Kombucha (made in Austin), or Holy Kombucha (made in Fort Worth). I used to love Buddha’s Brew (made in Austin), but it’s become a bit too sweet for me nowadays. I think it’s definitely a good brand to try if you are new to kombucha and may not be used to the taste.

For my float, I used Holy Kombucha’s Moondance variety that contains citrus, ginger, and turmeric. I would definitely recommend a low sugar kombucha for your float as you are going to be pouring it over ice cream. As for the flavor you use, go with something you think would go well with the blueberries and basil! To keep it local and represent Texas goods, I used Nada Moo’s vegan vanilla ice cream which is made in Austin. And, to take it a step further, the blueberries were from Edom and the basil was from my backyard. Huzzah! Let’s make a float!

Muddled Blueberry Basil Kombucha Float

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Author: Courtney West
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 serving 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

Ingredients

Scale

enough blueberries to cover the bottom of your glass (a small handful)
4 or 5 fresh basil leaves
1 large scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream
8 to 10 oz of kombucha (about half of a standard bottle)

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Instructions

Put the blueberries and basil in your glass. Using a muddler or the bottom of a wooden spoon or spatula, mash up the blueberries and basil until all of the blueberries have been smashed and released their juices. Add the scoop of ice cream on top of the berries. Pour the kombucha over the ice cream until the foam reaches the top of the glass. Garnish with a couple of blueberries or a basil leaf if you want, then Enjoy! You can either sip it through a straw or use a spoon.

Makes 1 float.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Category: dessert