nectarine mojito

i’m desperately holding onto the last vestiges of summer, despite the drizzle and yellowing leaves.

this means focussing on summery ingredients – fruit, leafy herbs and light flavours – rather than making an early rush for autumn’s richer, earthier offerings.

this nectarine mojito was made to use up some of the final pieces of fruit leftover in my fruitdrop box. a fruitdrop weekly fruit delivery to your office might seem like the height of luxury but i remember working for a marketing agency shortly after i moved to london and awestruck by the piles of fresh fruit and pastries that were provided in the kitchen each morning, so it’s not a new idea.

however, the health focus is, i think, becoming increasingly common and companies are actually going even further as part of their efforts to keep their staff healthy – a recent meeting i had with a brand agency took place over plates of delicious healthy gourmet food cooked in their onsite kitchen using vegetables from their rooftop garden. needless to say this is a bit more than most of us can imagine but if you fancy putting something like this in place check out fruitdrop’s offer of weekly fruit delivery in london (or elsewhere in the country, they work around the uk). 

to make the mojito you need ½ a ripe nectarine per person, cut one thin slice for garnish and then dice the rest. put this plus half a dozen mint leaves (i like to chop this up a little bit too) and 1 ½ teaspoons of sugar in the bottom of a glass and pound the mix together so the fruit collapses to a pulp. add 2 shots of spiced rum and then fill the glass with ice. top with soda water, stir and serve garnished with the nectarine slice and a sprig of mint.