My friend Susan always said that summer was my season.
And even though June, July and August are scorching hot months here in Texas, summer does bring out something special in me.
Summer is a season for living easy and feeling good. It's simpler to dress in the summer -- tank tops and shorts are the norm in these parts --meals are lighter, schedules more relaxed. It's a great time for slowing down, sleeping in and enjoying the languid pace of a day.
Summer is also a good time to enjoy the pleasures of life and use all of our senses -- to encourage ourselves to take moments out of each day to see, hear, touch, smell, and taste lots of different things.
In summer there is a lot of pleasure to be had in food. Here is my top ten list of favorite (food) pleasures of summer:
1. Fresh basil layered with sliced tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella and drizzled with olive oil -- I know its getting to be where you see this everywhere....but who can resist this dish when all its elements are in peak season?
2. Farmer's markets bursting with every flavor, texture and color under the sun
3. Cold, refreshing cocktails (like the incredible Lemon Basil Vodka Gimlet below)
4. Eating outside under a setting sun
5. Cold slices of watermelon sprinkled with a little salt (the way my grandfather used to eat it)
6. Staying up late and serving dinner whenever the mood strikes
7. Ice cold iced tea in a tall glass with mint
8. Homemade ice cream and fresh peaches
9. Pool parties with everyone bringing their favorite dish
10. Juicy red strawberries -- on their own or dipped in melted chocolate
This is just my top ten, the list could go on forever. I hope you have your own list and are taking the time to enjoy the simple pleasures of summer!
Lemon Basil Vodka Gimlets
Serves 8
Or as my friend Cindy (who gave me this recipe) likes to say, serves 4 with refills
Ingredients
(for the lemon basil simple syrup)
• 4 cups packed fresh basil sprigs (top 4 inches; from a 1/2-pound bunch)
• 4 cups water
•
2 cups sugar
• 9 (4- by 1-inch) strips lemon zest, with the bitter, white pith cut off
(for the gimlets)
• 2 cups basil lemon syrup
•
1 1/2 cups vodka
• 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 15 lemons)
•
ice cubes
•
sprigs of basil
•
thin slices of lemon
To make
First make the infused simple syrup:
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
Let stand at room temperature, covered, 1 hour, then transfer to an airtight container and chill until cold, about 1 hour.
Strain syrup thourough a sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids. The resulting syrup is a really pretty greenish yellow. It keeps, covered and chilled for a least a week.
Next squeeze the lemon juice. Roll them on the counter first. It loosen the fibers inside and when you squeeze them, you'll get more juice. Strain the juice to remove any seeds and place in the refrigerator to chill. This can be done up to 5 days in advance.
To make the gimlets:
Stir together all ingredients in a pitcher, then strain into 8- to 10-ounce glasses (such as Old Fashioned) filled with ice. Garnish with the fresh basil sprigs and lemon slices. Alternately you could shake the gimlets in a cocktail shaker and serve them in a martini glass rimmed with sugar that has been mixed with grated lemon zest.


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