Lemon Verbena “agua fresca”

Inspired by this gloriously sunny weekend, we’ve come up with a seriously refreshing drink that we’ve called Lemon Verbena agua fresca (that’s “fresh water” in Spanish, in case you were wondering!). Keep it in the fridge and drink it in the garden when the sun is shining. Full of the goodness of two of our favourite herbs, Lemon Verbena and Peppermint, it’s very uplifting and invigorating yet caffeine-free.

 

Use three teaspoons of Lahloo Lemon Verbena per one teaspoon of Lahloo English peppermint (4 teaspoons in total per 400ml). Let it cold infuse overnight. Strain the tea and it’s ready to serve!

Serve it with a slice of lemon or a mint sprig. We love it!

Alphonso mango and raspberry tarts with lemon verbena syrup

 

Once of the reasons why we love this month’s tea hero Lemon Verbena is that it’s so versatile. Renowned for having the purest citrus flavour of all herbs, it’s a great ingredient in cakes and desserts.

We discovered this fruit tart recipe online and Lahloo Pantry chef Laura thought it’d be great with ripe, sweet, juicy Alphonso mangoes, in season now. A lovely, light and fruity treat with the sweetness of the mangoes and the slight tanginess of raspberries and lemon verbena.

For the pastry: 

• 240g white flour
• a pinch of caster sugar
• 150g butter
• a pinch of salt
• 4tbsp cold water
• 1 beaten egg yolk and a pinch of sugar

For the filling: 

• 3 ripe Alphonso mangoes (sliced)
• a cup of raspberries
• 1tbsp Lahloo Lemon Verbena
• 30g sugar
• 100ml water

Combine flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add the softened butter in small cubes, and mix. Add the water slowly. The dough should be a bit crumbly, but it shouldn’t separate. Add more water if necessary. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a saucepan, heat water and sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the lemon verbena. Let it infuse .

Divide the dough into four. Using a rolling pin, roll each ball between two sheets of parchment paper. When the dough is spread, peel off the top paper.

Place the sliced mangoes and a few raspberries on each pastry. Fold up the edges of the pastry and pour the lemon verbena syrup over the top of the fruit. Paint the pastry with the beaten egg and sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes at 200C until the edges are golden and the berries are cooked. Cool on a wire rack. They’re best eaten warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream!