Years ago when I lived in the Bay Area, I remembered a particularly rough work week. Actually, they were all bad since I liked my job but hated my manager. I was visiting a friend in Palo Alto. We ate at some restaurant I can't remember the name of, but I certainly remembered the strawberry lemonade.
Such a simple concept, sliced strawberries into lemonade. Add carbonated water if plain tap water won't do.
A sunny day. Catching up with a friend. A refreshingly colorful drink. Perfect for Memorial Day barbecues, which signal the coming of lots more sunny days and weekends grilling outdoors.
Now, you know I love tart flavors, so when Christine of Kits Chow, host of the sprouts round-up of Weekend Wokking announced LEMONS as this month's challenge, I debated which recipe I should feature. In the end, I decided lemons needed little embellishment to be enjoyed.
Strawberry Lemonade
You'll need:
As many lemons as you'd like
As many strawberries as you'd like
Sugar, adjust to taste
Water
Optional: Mineral or seltzer water if you want carbonation.
I used Meyer lemons from my youngest uncle's tree, but any lemons will do. After slicing the strawberries, you can also mash them a little bit to release the flavors.
Juice the lemons. Remove the caps and slice the strawberries. Add water and sugar to taste.
Enjoy!
Preferably on bright sunny days with a friend or at backyard barbecues with family.
I'm submitting this recipe to Weekend Wokking, a world-wide food blogging event created by Wandering Chopsticks to celebrate the multiple ways we can cook one ingredient. This month's secret ingredient is LEMONS. I'm the host for June so please send your entries to me by Sunday, May 31.If you'd like to participate or to see the secret ingredient, check who's hosting next month. If you've participated in the past and would like to host, please email me.
My other lemon recipes:
Baked Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic, Lemon, and Rosemary
Baked Chicken with Citrus Marinade
Baked Chicken with Salt, Pepper, and Lemon
Bo Tai Chanh (Vietnamese Beef Carpaccio with Lemon)
Cajun Vietnamese Shrimp Boil
Chanh Muoi (Vietnamese Salty Lemonade)
Chicken Piccata
Cuban Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken
Dolmades (Greek Grape Leaves Stuffed with Rice, Tomatoes, and Onions)
Hummus
Meyer Lemon Granita
Meyer Lemon Shortbread Bars
Mieng Kham (Thai Leaf-Wrapped Snack)
Nohut Salatasi (Turkish Chickpea Salad)
Sinh To Nha Dam (Vietnamese Aloe Vera Shake)
Tom Kha Gai (Thai Galangal and Chicken Soup with Coconut Milk)
*****
1 year ago today, Salsa Verde with Roasted Tomatillos.
2 years ago today, Bulgogi and Kalbi (Korean Barbecued Beef and Short Ribs).
That looks so delicious. I haven't had homemade lemonade in years (I'm addicted to the Simply Lemonade brand, though!).
ReplyDeleteMy grandma used to make all different types of flavored lemonades - strawberry is one of my favorites.
She used to let the berries get a little on the mushy side - not super appealing to the eye, but it really increases the sweetness/berry flavor of them.
Beautiful! I like how the sliced strawberries float nicely in the glass container of strawberry lemonade. Your photos this time look so beautiful! Great focus and color :).
ReplyDeleteSimply lovely. Fresh lemonade can be so refreshing on a hot day and the addition of strawberries sounds great. A muddle of mint and a splash of rum might be a nice variation once the sun sets.
ReplyDeleteJonathan,
ReplyDeleteI love blackberry lemonade too. Usually I do muddle the juices more, but I didn't want to blurry the colors for the photos. :P
ETE,
Thanks.
Sijaleng,
Ooh, mint and rum would be perfect. Why wait until the sun sets? ;)
love strawberry lemonade but haven't seen it this way. more familiar with a strawberry puree with the lemonade. can't wait to try.
ReplyDeleteWow! This sounds incredible! SO refreshing, and such a gorgeous presentation!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
looks lovely esp. with that orange-y hue (was that because of meyer lemons and/or strawberry juices bleeding into the overall concoction?)
ReplyDeleteHmm, reminds me I need to get a nice-looking pitcher (the one I have, landed for free, is VERY 70s kitsch -- purple plastic... feh)
I don't know why, but Friend Feed doesn't alert me of your new posts, so I'm slow to read and respond.
ReplyDeleteThat is a gorgeous pitcher. And, in spite of this little dose of cool weather, it will be lemonade time before we know it. I love the idea of adding the strawberries to a classic.
Bluang3lbby,
ReplyDeleteI've seen both versions. I just wanted to do it this way for the pretty colors.
Finsmom,
Thanks!
HC,
The Meyer lemons were just that color. I guess that's why they're less tart than regular lemons. This pitcher was purchased for pretty cheap at IKEA.
Susan,
Hmm. Not sure. I don't use Friend Feed so I don't know why. I tweet most new posts too so you'd know that way.
I had a strawberry lemonade with crushed mint and it was to die for.
ReplyDeleteMr. Long,
ReplyDeleteI had a strawberry mint sangria that was awesome.