While walking through the garden this last week and pondering what to make for our CSA customers I noticed a whole bunch of new leaves on our Makrut lime trees which are planted in these large pots in our beautiful patio space. I absolutely love Makrut lime and if you haven’t had the chance to cook with it I highly suggest giving it a try. While the fruit from this plant are great, its actually the leaves that are most commonly used as they are super fragrant. They are often used to lend a unique flavor and fragrance to curries and stews. After cooking in the liquid the leaves are removed, much like a bay leaf, as they can be quite tough and fibrous. Anyway, upon seeing this new growth of Makrut leaves I had the thought to make a big batch of our house made, Cambodian inspired, orange syrup. We use it for our Saturday MAKE brunch café instead of maple syrup for our pancakes as it lends a unique twist to a classic breakfast dish. Hopefully our CSA customers will enjoy this addition to their pantry and I’m sure some of the more adventurous could figure out how to slip some into a cocktail!
Cambodian Orange Syrup Makes about 2 ½ Cups 1 Cup Orange Juice 1 Cup Water 1 Cup Sugar 1 Stalk Lemongrass Cut in 3 inch pieces and bruised with the back of a knife 2 Makrut Lime Leaves 1 Inch Ginger Sliced Pinch Salt Instructions
Combine Ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a simmer
Simmer and reduce until syrupy, about 10 minutes
Strain and set aside to cool before refrigerating