Friday, July 22, 2011

Too Darn Hot

The heat index is well over 100ºF today and beyond my A/C-chilled windows it looks unbearably balmy. I offer today a few fruit drink recipes to keep you hydrated and distracted from the heat wave. At the end, there's even a Tuscan summer salad that doesn't require any cooking but can definitely serve as a main dish. Then again who has any appetite in this heat? Perhaps the best solution is to eat popsicles and ice cream...


Ginger Limeade


¾ cup sugar
¼ boiling water
1.5 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1.5 tsp grated lime rind
¾ cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)
2.5 cups cold water
4 lime slices (optional)



Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves. Strain mixture through a sieve into a pitcher. Add juice and 2.5 cups cold water. Chill completely. Serve with lime slices, if desired. Makes about 3 pints.


Or if you're heading to the store today to pick up a few things or just to read the newspaper in the freezer section, I'll recommend hunting down the ingredients for these two interesting quenchers: Heidi Swanson's specialty Blackberry Limeade, which calls for fresh blackberries, kaffir lime leaves, and cardamom pod; and also her Lime, Grapefruit, and Ginger Juice, which is quite strong but easily cut with soda water and ice.



Should you be hydrated enough to bide your time with a cocktail, the heat will seem so unimportant after two of these:


Whiskey Smash


4 mint leaves, plus 1 sprig of mint
3 lemon quarters
1 oz orange curaçao (balance curaçao and lemon properly)
2 oz bourbon or rye
Lemon slice, for garnish



In bottom of a bar glass, muddle the mint leaves, lemon quarters, and curaçao. Add the whiskey and ice; shake. Double-strain into an ice-filled rocks glass with a Hawthorn strainer and julep strainer (or just pick out the mint leaves). Garnish with mint sprig and lemon slice.


Now if you'd rather close your eyes and pretend that you're sitting on a beach in the Caribbean, this rum punch will help get you there:


Rum Swizzle

4 oz Gosling's Black Seal Rum
4 oz Gosling's Gold Rum
5 oz Pineapple Juice
5 oz Orange Juice
¾ oz Grenadine or 2 oz Bermuda Falernum
6 Dashes of Angostura Bitters



Into a pitcher ⅓ full of crushed ice add Gosling's Black Seal Rum, Gosling's Gold Rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, Grenadine or Bermuda Falernum and Angostura bitters. Churn vigorously until a frothing appears or mix in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a martini
glass.



Food is a different story in this heat. If you find yourself filled with any hint of an appetite in this heat, might I recommend a Tuscan summer classic that doesn't require any cooking. Whenever I make this salad, I just toss together what I have in the cabinet and fridge so measurements vary each time. So allow me to share measured proportions offered by Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette:


Panzanella (Tuscan Bread Salad)
6-8 servings

Salad:
5 cups stale country bread with the crust
8 lbs ripe plum tomatoes, cored and cubed
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 medium-sized cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
8 pitted black olives, chopped
6 green olives, chopped
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
1 tblsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried thyme

Vinaigrette:
6 tblsp evoo
3 tblsp red wine vinegar
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper



To assemble the salad, put the bread, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, and olives in good-sized salad bowl. Add the basil and thyme. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl until thickened. Pour slowly over the salad and toss gently to coat. Set the salad aside, but not in the fridge, for about 30 minutes, until the bread cubes soften. Just before serving, check the seasonings and adjust accordingly. This salad should be kept and served at room temperature.

4 comments:

  1. I want that salad so much right now even though it's only 9:30am. I could eat infinite tomatoes and cucumbers, I think...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fun recipes and good ideas.

    I don't know if I've ever given you a sample of this, but my favorite "beat the heat" drink is switchel, an old Amish drink that was also popular in New England for hundreds of years before gatorade.

    Recipes vary, but the basic idea is to boil some water, add ginger and let steep for a 15 minutes (either diced fresh ginger, or use the powder for a more authentic version -- the 17th-century colonies only had powdered). If using fresh ginger, strain and press to remove solids. Add some sort of sweetener to taste: maple syrup or molasses or a combination would be most traditional; brown sugar would also be a substitute. Add more water to this mixture to nearly fill your pitcher/jug. Then, for the most exotic ingredient, add some cider vinegar to taste. For a more modern version, use lemon or lime juice to substitute for some of the vinegar, which can be rather overpowering. Serve over ice.

    It sounds weird, but the vinegar is really refreshing, giving the drink a clean crisp feeling on the palate, rather than the stickiness that can come from sweetened drinks.

    ReplyDelete
  3. John, this sounds bizarre and fantastic. Thanks for sharing it. I hear you on the vinegar, might also be worth trying different vinegars to see their effect. I'm up for trying a pitcher of this some hot day in August! Ginger limeade, too.

    ReplyDelete