Do-it-Yourself – Garland, Sparkler, and Salad

We’re not ready to let go of autumn just yet but we can’t deny that Christmas is already in the air, so here are some Do-it-Yourself decors and recipes inspired by these two seasons – we totally love this crossover. Take note as well that these items mainly made use of fruits and veggies. Yum!

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Camille Styles Tips for Creating an Orange Garland

• Cut two large oranges into 1/2” thick slices
• Lay each slice flat on a baking rack that’s nested in a sheet pan, and bake in a 200 degree oven for 6-12 hours, or until oranges are fully dry
  

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• To allow air to circulate completely, leave oven propped open a few inches throughout the drying process
• Once orange slices are dried, easily string each slice onto a long piece of thick jute twine

Lemon-Ginger Tea Pomegranate Sparkler

By Gail Simmons
Serves 2

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 cup Pure Leaf Iced Tea with Lemon
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
Cold club soda
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, for garnish
2 cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Instructions:

• In a saucepan, combine the ginger and Pure Leaf Iced Tea with Lemon and bring to a simmer.
• Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to steep, about 10 minutes.
• Allow to cool in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Fill two highball glasses with ice. Pour 1/2 cup ginger-infused tea, then 1/4 cup pomegranate juice into each glass.
• Top each with club soda, garnish with a tablespoon of pomegranate seeds and a cinnamon stick to stir.
• For alcoholic version, add 2 ounces gin or bourbon before adding tea.

Shaved Fall Vegetable Salad with Tea-Pickled Radishes

By Gail Simmons
Serves 4

FOR THE TEA-PICKLED RADISHES:
1 cup Pure Leaf Sweet Tea, warmed but not boiling
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup apple cider vinegar
8 small radishes, thinly sliced or 4 large watermelon radishes
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Instructions:

• In a medium bowl, combine the tea with the salt; stir to dissolve.
• Add the vinegar along with the radishes, garlic and peppercorns.
• Cover and refrigerate at least an hour or overnight.
• Drain the pickled radishes, reserving 1/4 cup of pickling liquid for use in vinaigrette. Set aside.

Note: The drained radishes can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

FOR THE SHAVED VEGETABLE SALAD:
1/4 cup reserved picking liquid
1 tablespoon honey
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 sweet, crisp apples, such as Gala or Fuji, cored and thinly sliced into half moons
2 small heads radicchio, thinly sliced
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced on a bias, leaves reserved for garnish
2 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Tea-Pickled Radishes, see recipe above

Instructions:

• Pour the reserved pickling liquid into a large bowl.
• Add the honey and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• Slowly add olive oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly to emulsify.
• Add the fennel, apple, radicchio, celery, parsley and pickled radishes to the bowl and toss all ingredients together to coat.
• Season with more salt and pepper if desired and garnish with celery leaves before serving.

A big thank you to Pure Leaf for sharing these DIY decor and recipes with us.