Ah, the beauty that is summer. Birds are chirping, the sun is out, barbecues are happening and summer love is brewing in the air. Can you feel the love? Smell the charcoal briquettes? Of course you can…
Isn’t it awesome?
Tis the season where we shed as much clothing as legally possible, don on the flip flops and break out the grill. We eat lighter, because who wants to be burdened by a hot stove when there are summer days to enjoy?
Not me…
Well… Maybe… Just not today. I made you strawberry lemonade. Because I like you… Because it’s summer… And I know you’re gonna get thirsty.
I found this recipe on the Food Network site. Emeril made this – Bam! I got myself a bottle of agave nectar. I used it to substitute the sugar in this recipe. Just wanted to try something new…. Turns out, I like agave. They make tequila out of this… Good stuff, and doesn’t leave an aftertaste. You can use sugar if you like; it’s all good….
I used strawberries again… If you’re sick of strawberries, just let me know… I’ll try to scale it down some; but seriously – Aren’t strawberries gorgeous?
This little strawberry thief seems to think so.
She takes bites of my strawberries and puts them back…
That’s my Moonbug…
This is the face she makes when she bites into something. I don’t know why she does this; but it’s funny…
Ooh, ooh – I forgot to tell you! This lemonade uses sparkling water. Sparkling drinks make me feel floppy hat country club fancy… They just do…
Tart, colorful and refreshing, strawberry lemonade is going to make its way to every single one of my summer barbecues.
You ought to follow suit. Oh, and um… Don’t forget the floppy hat…
[purerecipe]
Strawberry Lemonade
Ingredients
- 2 cups Water
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup Light Agave nectar
- 1 heaping tablespoon Grated lemon zest
- 1 cup Fresh lemon juice from about 8 lemons
- 1 pound Fresh strawberries hulled and halved
- 2 to 2½ cups Cold sparkling water or club soda
- Ice
- Sliced strawberries garnish
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water and agave nectar to a boil until the mixture bubbles and is slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat; add the lemon zest and lemon juice and stir well. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside to cool completely. If you want to speed up cooling, place the bowl in an ice bath.
- In the meantime, puree strawberries in a blender or immersion hand blender. Add the pureed strawberries to the cooled lemon juice. Stir well to combine and strain using a fine mesh strainer. Taste and adjust with additional agave nectar if needed. Pour into a pitcher and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
To serve:
- Add the sparkling water and stir well. Pour over glasses filled with ice and serve, garnished with strawberries.
