Summer Beverages

I love beverages. I think just as important as the food is, you need a beverage to go with the meal. Think about it. Social drinking has been part of our culture for a long time. From coca cola to lemonade we enjoy a beverage with our meal. And not only with our meals we love to socialize with a beverage.

When I go out I enjoy a good rootbeer with my dinner, but I am not a huge soda drinker. I have learned to create wonderful beverages at home. They have become a family and friend favorites over the years. Beverages can make a meal even better and more enjoyable and they can bring a feeling of welcoming to you home when you offer a wonderful beverage and sit and visit over it. I do love water, but for a nice meal or a hot summer afternoon chat, I enjoy a great lemonade.

Lemon juice is so good for you. Did you know that Lemons contain vitamins, minerals and other natural compounds that boost your immune system and even fight cancer. They rehydrate and detox the body. They aid in digestion and mineral absorption, may give you more energy and protect your kidneys and urinary health.

Lemons are really good for you and they are so refreshing. I love lemons. Summer time is the time for great beverages. I love lemons in the heat of the summer. Lemonade can be healthy and good for you. A great combination for sure.

So I have a formula for lemonade and I am not afraid try out new things when it comes to lemonade. I have tried almost all fruits and most vegetables and tons of spices and herbs to make great lemonades. Just when I think I am there I discover a new twist on lemonade.

Recently in two of my virtual classes I created some new lemonades that are my favorites to date. One was a yellow crook neck squash lemonade and the other was a wonderful yellow tomato lemonade. Both were amazing. The yellow squash was smooth and the color was great. Squash doesn’t really have a lot of flavor, but it is so good for you. It was really a wondeful lemonade. The yellow tomato tasted like lemons and tomatoes. I loved it, but felt something was missing and it finally dawned on me that it was salt. So I salted my glass and WOW it was amazing. I loved it so much. Tomatoes have to have salt. It was so refreshing and different.

Make your culinary adventures more fun with great lemonades. There is an entire world out there of great fruits and vegetables that need to be made into lemonade.

Lemonade

1 cup fresh lemon juice 

1.5 to 2 cups of sugar or desired sweetener

4 cups of yellow tomatoes or yellow squash, crookneck 

Water to equal one gallon

Place vegetables and sweetener in blender with a couple cups of water.  Blend really really well and place in gallon picture and fill with water to equal one gallon.  Serve over ice in a salt rimmed glass.

To salt glass,  in a small bowl, place folded paper towel  Wet down paper towel with water.  Wet glass on paper towel and dip in bowl of salt.  

Enjoy, 

Chef Brad~America’s Grain Guy