Tony Cenicola/The New York Times
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2015
6 Great Recipes, for Lemonade and Beyond
 MELISSA CLARK
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What was your favorite part about having a lemonade stand as a child? Mine was getting a free pass on drinking the sugary beverage in large quantities. But my daughter, Dahlia, is in it for the fun of sitting on the stoop and convincing passers-by to try a plastic cup full (she likes making the signs, too).
And we both like to play around with the usual lemonade recipe. A few weeks ago, we made lemon-verbena lemonade, infusing sprigs in a lemon simple syrup (1 cup water to 1 cup sugar, 3 large sprigs lemon verbena, the peel of 1 lemon, bring to a simmer to melt the sugar, let sit for an hour; strain). When the syrup was cool, we mixed it with fresh lemon juice, water and ice to taste. At 50 cents a cup, it was a bargain! (You can use basil or mint in place of the verbena if you like.)
Even if you don't plan to hawk it to neighbors, here are some terrific lemonade recipes to get you through the weekend. Serve them at a gathering, or keep a pitcher in your fridge to slake your thirst all week long.
If life isn't giving you any lemons right now, but you're rich in watermelon, try Pete Wells's completely refreshing recipe for a lime-infused watermelon punch.
Or if you're looking for something stronger, Rosie Schaap's grapefruit-based gin and juice will soften any summer evening. I'm going to try it, first salting the rim of my glass, margarita-style, just because I love the combination of grapefruit juice and salt.
You'll need to eat this weekend, too. Are you grilling? I know we are - we just got a new grill and can't wait to break it in with some steak. Skirt steak is the current favorite, and it takes well to an intense spice rub. This one, by John Willoughby and Chris Schlesinger, is paired with a smoky eggplant chutney and looks pretty terrific.
Or I may fall back on the familiar and go with a simple skirt steak with garlic and herbs. It's got pickled hot peppers for heat and tang.
If you're in the mood to bake, you could try my cornmeal plum sconesfor Sunday brunch. Use any stone fruit in place of the plums - peaches, apricots, even cherries. Or replace the homemade compote with some jam from the fridge. With prepared jam, the scones come together really quickly. And they taste great with lemonade.
If you need help or have a question with a recipe or with our site or apps, or if you just want to say hi, please reach out. You can find us atcookingcare@nytimes.com. We're also on Facebook, Twitter,Pinterest and Instagram. #NYTCooking is our hashtag. See you on Sunday! |
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