15 sweet woodruff springs
2 pints strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 quarts Rhine or Mosel wine
Optional garnishes include edible flowers such as borage, violets, or roses.
Heat 4 woodruff springs in 200 deg. oven for 5 min. Rinse and hull 1 pint of the strawberries, then place in large pitcher or crock and mash together with sugar. Add the heated woodruff sprigs plus 8 more sprigs, and the wine to the pitcher, and stir well. Cover tightly, throw in fridge overnight, or, up to 24 hours. Strain wine into punch bowl, rinse and add remaining strawberries to bowl along with remaining woodruff sprigs. Garnish with edible flower blossoms or petals if desired.
I make this in a gallon pitcher and drink on the patio on sultry summer nights, while inhaling the scents of
moonflowers, daturas, jasmine, and Cestrum nocturnum. I pour out a bowl of sugar to dip the remaining strawberries into. Talk about elevating yourself to a higher plane….!
