Wonderful Watermelon Cooler

Watermelons, while great for snacking, also make a fantastic beverage. Especially when it contains vodka...or rum...or tequila. Because they are so very watery (they are called watermelon after all), it's extraordinarily easy to drinkify them. A simple blitz in the blender will do, though I also like to strain out any rogue seeds and pulp. Add a few extra ingredients for flavor and you've got summer in a glass (or two...or twenty). There is so much juice in a single watermelon, you can make enough of this cooler to quench the thirst of all the adults at your next barbecue or picnic. (Or in my case, I used it to bribe the ladies in the front office of the orthodontist so they forgot to charge me the missed appointment fee when I accidentally missed my son's appointment because I haven't wrapped my head around the fact that I am no longer on a 2 month vacation and I actually have a life to live and things to do and a calendar to keep. And for the record, I think my evil plan worked....).







Watermelon Cooler

Try this most refreshing beverage at your next barbecue or picnic. Leave out the alcohol to make a kid-friendly version that tastes just as good...well, almost as good.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes, plus one hour chill time
Yield: serves 12

Ingredients:

1 large watermelon (about 8 pounds)
2 cups vodka or white rum
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup sugar (superfine is best)
10 mint leaves
Seltzer water or club soda

Preparation:

1. Remove rind from watermelon, cut the flesh into cubes and puree using a blender. Strain watermelon puree through a very fine mesh sieve into a large pitcher, discarding solids. You should end up with about 6 cups of watermelon juice.

2. Stir in vodka or rum, lime juice and sugar. Bruise mint leaves by squeezing them with your fingers, then add to the pitcher.

3. Refrigerate the mixture for about one hour, for the flavors to meld. Stir again then serve over ice with a splash of club soda, garnished with a slice of lime or watermelon.

Happy Autumn and a New Salad!

We toasted to memories of our amazing summer, and to the prospect of a blessed new season. The signs of autumn are all around us...though here, in southern California, we sometimes have to look closely. Fall brings the Santa Anas, and fires. Fall brings more heat and dry air. Leaves and mountainsides turn brown and tinder dry. Seed pods rattle in the breeze, and palm fronds tumble to the ground. The light is changing, and the sun comes in at a different angle--dusk comes sooner too.

In the markets winter squash and pumpkins are making their appearance, and grapes, apples, pears and pomegranates are slowly edging out peaches and plums. Tomatoes still abound, and melons and corn are available, though time is running out.

So on this first day of autumn, the equinox, we dined al fresco, by candlelight. We feasted on our favorite tastes of summer--corn, watermelon, and big, juicy, grilled steaks. We reminisced about our trip east and back, and talked about all the exciting things that are just around the bend...there are so many!

I tried a new salad too...a recipe I've seen many times, but been a bit afraid to make. The ingredients on their own, I adore. Watermelon? Yes! Tomatoes? The best! Feta cheese? Yummy! Cilantro? Heaven! But all together? I just wasn't sure. So tonight I bit the bullet and gave it a go. And you know what? It's a like a chorus of flavors in the mouth. Maybe even a symphony. It's that good.




The crisp and sweet watermelon plays splendidly against the tender, juicy tomatoes and the tangy, salty cheese. And the grassy, herbaceousness of the cilantro makes for a spectacular top note. It's the kind of taste that is so surprising upon first bite, that you have to immediately take another one, just to be sure it was for real. And the ease with which this salad was thrown together, tells me that this could become a late summer standby, even a main course, on those sweltering nights when it is simply too hot to cook or eat much of anything at all.

We enjoyed our evening so much, knowing full well, that it is an awfully long wait until summer produce comes 'round again. And we're going to milk every last bit of it...I hope you do too.

Watermelon, Tomato and Feta Salad

serves 4

1/2 a smallish seedless watermelon (that weighs around 6 pounds), peeled and cubed

8 ounces feta cheese in brine, cubed

2 medium ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped

handful of cilantro, chopped

drizzle of red wine vinegar

drizzle of olive oil

Toss watermelon, feta, and tomatoes together in a salad bowl. Drizzle with vinegar and oil. Top with cilantro. Serve immediately, or chill up to one hour.

At Market...Watermelon

The fantasy of long, hot summer days (which will appear sooner or later I suspect) helps me to conjure up images from my childhood. Most of our time was spent splashing in the backyard pool, our hair green and swimsuits threadbare come September. In the afternoons, we’d sit around the table outside with huge crescents of watermelon in hand, the juice running in streams down to our elbows and coloring our cheeks like rouge.

Back then, the watermelons in the markets were massive specimens filled with hard, black seeds. My mother would dutifully knock on them, seeking out the perfect hollow sound to determine ripeness. We were always thrilled when they were cut open to reveal firm flesh that was deep crimson in color at its heart. We’d munch on long slices, sitting side-by-side on the deck, spitting the seeds out onto the grass. Now, it’s nearly impossible to find watermelons with real seeds. My kids are baffled when they come across the occasional black one in theirs, and explaining how watermelons used to be (before the small, seedless variety became the norm) is almost like trying to describe life before home computers, ipods or cell phones.


But fortunately for all of us, old school watermelons (and some gorgeous heirloom varieties) can still be found at our farmers' markets. (Though I suspect the melons will be a bit delayed this year on the east.) As always, fruit in season tastes best, and I never buy a watermelon in January for that very reason. In fact, the only time to enjoy them is during mid to late summer, when they are at their peak. Their skin, which ranges in color from deep to pale green, should be smooth, with a yellow spot on the bottom where it rested as it grew on the vine. And it should sound hollow when tapped. Be sure to look out for watermelons with beautiful yellow or cream colored flesh for an unusual treat.

There are so many delicious ways to enjoy this gift of summer. I like to blend mine into a luscious margarita or frozen lemonade or in a sweet and savory salad with mint, feta cheese and arugula. But quite possibly my favorite thing to make with watermelon is a granita, which is kind of like a rustic, chunkier version of a sorbet. It’s a light and refreshing way to end a summer meal and is especially terrific because it doesn’t require an ice cream maker. The lime juice cuts the sweetness of the melon and the ginger adds an intriguing touch of spice on the tongue. It's kind of like a snow cone for grown ups.

Watermelon Ginger Granita
Makes 2 C

4 C watermelon chunks, seeded if necessary
½ C sugar
Juice from 1 lemon or lime
1 T ginger juice* (bottled or squeezed from fresh ginger root)

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Pass mixture through a seive to catch any stray seeds then pour into a 9 x 13 pan and freeze for one hour. Rake with a fork and freeze for one hour more. Rake again and return to the freezer for another hour. Rake again and serve.

*Making ginger juice is easy. Simply grate fresh ginger onto a square of cheesecloth or paper towel using the fine side of a cheese grater. There is no need to peel the skin. Wrap the grated ginger in the cloth or paper towel and squeeze the juice out into a small bowl.