Beach plum gin saves the day

So. The Frenchman cannot tear himself from my side to go and look at the Hudson fireworks. Yay! Consequently, a frittata with lots of dill and potatoes will be carried to the roof for a nouveau-American picnic. I'll make a Waldorf salad, too, for New York's sake. 

To reward and celebrate Vince's loyalty I went straight out and bought some 4th of July Champagne and a bottle of the beach plum gin I've been dreaming about ever since reading about it in the New York Times two days ago. Made by Greenhook Ginsmiths, in the style of sloe gin.

Last August's beach plums from local shores

Why the article and the label on the bottle call beach plums (Prunus maritima) fussy and hard-to-grow, I can't tell you. In my experience beach plums are hardy - they tolerate wind and drought very well, and are adapted to dune and seashore lives. So...perhaps they don't like fertilizers and loam?

 Last year I made beach plum jam and beach plum syrup. In this hood they will be ripe, I think, in about 3-4 weeks. And there is a doozy of a crop this year. But for now we'll just drink them, the way that Stephen DeAngelo, the founder of Greenhook Ginsmiths says he does: with Champagne. 

My kinda guy.