It was a warm sunny day today so, I headed to Niederbipp in Canton Solothurn, a region I used to live in. I wanted to go foraging in the woods with the hope that I could also pick some Elderflower. Why? These beautiful delicate flowers are packed with fragrant yellow pollen that makes the most delicious summer cordial.
I love this cordial, it’s so refreshing, light and summery. It’s perfect to add to still water, sparkling water to make a presse or add it to prosecco to make a ‘bump start’ cocktail. It could also be drizzled over fruit salad or sorbet, whipped into a gooseberry fool, set into home made ice lollies or splashed over the sponge in a trifle, or to be used in baking summer puddings. The cordial is full of vitamin C and some say if you drink it every day then you can keep flu away!
Later in the season the Elderflower will set into berries the are first green then, turn dark red. These make the most amazing dark red, clear jam or jelly. I’ll post a recipe for Elderflower jelly later in the year.
1. Add the flower heads into a jug or bowl and then to this add the sliced lemon.
2. To a pan add the sugar, citric acid (you can get this at the pharmacy) one Campden tablet (optional) and 1 litre of water. Heat until all of the sugar has dissolved then, carefully add the hot sugary solution onto the elderflower and sliced lemon.
3. Leave for one day to infuse preferably in a dark cupboard.
4. Filter the cordial through a clean tea cloth or muslin into freshly washed and dried glass bottles.
5. Keep cool. ideally store in the fridge, good for 3 months but it won’t last that long!
A day out in the little farming and wine producing town of Maisprach for wine tasting, dinner on the terrace, polish pottery, a lovely cafe or visiting a historic flour mill.
Ettinbühl Gardens located near Bad Bellingen in Germany around 30 mins drive from Basel. They boast an impressive 1,000 variety rose collection plus a 5 hectare garden with 20 different themed zones to wander through. If you are interested in photography the gardens offer a lot of amazing vistas for portraits. Take a picnic blanket in the summer months and while away the hours in the most idyllic setting.
What better way to spend a few hours on a Summer or Autumn day than wandering around the immaculate, beautiful and vast Merian Gärten in Basel. Villa Merian was gifted to Christoph Merian on his wedding day in 1824 by his father. The villa was used as Christoph and his wife Margaretha Burckhardt as a summer residence and was gifted to the Christoph Merian Stiftung in 1886. In 1968 the Christoph Merian Stiftung gave Merian Gärten to Basel City so, we can all say we own a small piece of this amazing house and garden.
Basel summertime bring the chance to have afterwork drinks, to enjoy the last rays of sunshine before sunset or at the weekend, spending time lounging on one of Basel’s terraces or enjoyed at one of the many pop-up buvettes.
Here’s the most read blog posts of summer 2020 as rated by you! click on each photograph to take you to the original article.
Mathishof has the most amazing, Enter the labyrinth and wind your way through the maize to find 4 or 5 kids play areas that include slides, swings, trampolines and other fun things to play on. Take the zip line through the maze to cut a corner or wander around until you find the exit. The labyrinth is not so complex that you can get lost but you do need a good 30 mins to 1 hour to enjoy it fully. Be warned, I imagine many children could spend a lot longer than that though!
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Things to do in Basel blog is for everyone that lives in or wants to visit the Basel region.
Let me share with you the best things to do in Basel, where to find great food and drink, ‘must do’ days out or weekends away and some lifestyle tips too.
Louise
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