Mimosa Pour Moi? Oui, Oui, Oui. Sunday Afternoon Delights in the Early Spring Garden…
La Mimosa de Minneola de Michaela
Could there possibly be a more lovely weekend for Easter Egg hunts, Sunday brunches, garden strolls and chilled mimosas? I think not. Here in New England the weather is simply spectacular, and swollen flower buds are bursting open to greet the glorious day. The pink bodnant viburnum ‘Dawn’ at my Secret Garden door perfumes the air, and a carpet of starry blue Chionodoxa sparkles upon the path. Finally, the sleepy Narcissus are awakening and the early Crocus and Galanthus are blooming their pretty little heads off.
It’s a perfect day for a leisurely mid-day meal on a sunny stone terrace. And for a refreshing accompaniment, what could be more appropriate for Sunday brunch than a classic Mimosa? By now it’s no secret that I love sparkling wine and champagne. However, I dislike sticky-sweet cocktails -and until recently the perfect Mimosa has always eluded me. Named for the famously fragrant blossoms of the tropical Acacia, this popular champagne cocktail is rumored to have been invented at the Ritz Hotel in Paris circa 1925. The original concoction contained Grand Marnier, (orange flavored cognac), French champagne and fresh squeezed orange juice. The key to getting a good balance of floral aroma, pleasing effervescence and a clean finish is using the freshest juice, dry sparkling wine, and tasting your ingredients in advance.
After experimenting with a few different Mimosa recipes, I have decided that although it isn’t an orange at all, the Minneola tangelo, (a Dancy tangerine x Duncan grapefruit hybrid dating back to the 1930s), makes the perfect juice for this cocktail. Minneola are plentiful in markets at this time of the year, so although I can not grow a tree of my own here in Vermont, I have easy access to the fruit for this special treat. In addition to substituting fresh squeezed Minneola juice for the traditional orange, I’ve made a few more modifications to the classic recipe, (which follows below). If you too have been searching for a more satisfying Mimosa, give this version a try. I think it is a garden-strolling, flower-lover’s fantasy…
Crocus Petals Unfolding © 2010 Michaela at The Gardener’s Eden
Narcissus ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’ © 2010 Michaela at TGE
Striped Crocus © 2010 Michaela at TGE
Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’ in Early April © Michaela at TGE
The Fragrant Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’ © 2010 Michaela at TGE
Chionodoxa luciliae (gigantea) – Glory of the Snow © 2010 Michaela at TGE
Crocus in the Dried Grass © 2010 Michaela at TGE
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The Making of a Fresh Squeezed Minneola Mimosa
La Mimosa de Minneola de Michaela
Ingredients for one cocktail, (multiply for many):
Fresh Squeezed Juice of one Minneola Tangelo
2 dashes of Cointreau
Chilled Maschio Prosecco Brut (Italian sparkling white wine)
Directions:
In a full sized champagne flute, add the fresh squeezed Minneola juice, (this should be about 1/3 of a glass). Add a couple of dashes of Cointreau, (some prefer Grand Marnier, a cognac, which is sweeter. I prefer the slightly bitter taste of Cointreau). Fill the glass with Maschio Prosecco. This sparkling wine has an aroma of orange blossoms and tastes lightly of fruit, without adding extra sweetness. However you can of course substitute any brut champagne or sparkling wine.
Garnish with a wedge of Minneola and serve chilled with brunch or as a lovely afternoon surprise in the garden…
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Fresh Minneola tangelo
Mimosa Pour Moi? Oui, Oui, Oui !
Crocus © 2010 Michaela at TGE
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6 Replies to “Mimosa Pour Moi? Oui, Oui, Oui. Sunday Afternoon Delights in the Early Spring Garden…”
Comments are closed.
La Mimosa de Minneola, au Michaela you devil you!
I was introduced to Mimosas by my (not yet) mother-in-law at my first ever Christmas Brunch with The Family. What a great party that was! With no small part played by the easy going(down) fizzy wakeup OJ. Ah those were the days my friend!!
; ) Deb xo
What a lovely introduction to a delightful drink. Your mother-in-law to be sounds like a wonderful woman.
And, please advise… should it be “au Michaela” ? Madame Upton only suffered one year with this dreadful French student, before I reluctantly moved on to Spanish and German. Let me know if I need to make a correction. Thank you Deb… enjoy your fizzy orange refreshments!
xo
My first Mimosa is naught but a fond memory (it was, yikes, 1983!), but I digress…
Okay, let’s do a little “Franglais” figuring here on d’French ting: “au jus” means “with juice” for roast boeuf, but it made such a great double entendre with your name that I couldn’t resist. So, how about “a la Michaela”? No, that’s not right. Wait, how about Mimosa a la Minneola de Michaela! Yes, that’s got to be it – pie “a la mode” is with ice cream…
Sorry, you’re not the only one who’s rusty. French class was even farther back than that first Mimosa. Oh, who cares? Just don’t quote me on the grammar or spelling – my ear was always better than my eyes “en Francaise” Salut et bon nuit, mon cheri – I’m off to bed. Hmm, now what did I do with that fizzy OJ… xo
Um, it could also be Mimosa avec Minneola a la Michaela?
my girlfriend has a grape fruit plantation in their backyard and we always taste some of the harvest.,-.