Westsiders

Mint and watermelon.  Could there be a more heavenly hot-weather combination?  I’ve been complaining for weeks about the unseasonably cold weather (65 degree-days through the 4^th of July?  Give me a break!) But last week the westside finally got a taste of summer, and it was glorious.  The door was wide open all day and it officially felt like California again.  To celebrate, I decided to try my hand at an aptly named drink created by the folks down at Waterloo and City called the Westsider.  It’s light, refreshing, and alcoholic—everything I expect a summer drink to be.  Plus it calls for the use of Gin, and is named for my side of town—I was in love with it before I even tried it. Watermelon is fresh on the east coast in mid-August, but we’re already getting our first harvests here.  The mint was considerably harder to find, and I’d be lying if I told you that I found it at the market (no, I shamefully bought it a Trader Joes…but it was from California!)  Mint likes cool areas with lots of sun and moisture, making it a perfect addition to any small herb garden.  It can be harvested from the same plant up to 3 times in one season, and is an annual so you don’t need to plant it the next year—rather, you should keep an eye on it because it is a willing grower, and can quickly overtake your entire garden!  Growing your own is the best way to ensure you’ll always have some on hand through the whole season.  The second I have an inch of outdoor space to call my own, I’ll be growing mint. This drink is so easy you won’t believe how impressive it turns out to be. I make two versions of it–one with homemade lemonade, and one with (gasp!) store bought.  Which version depends on how complicated is turning out to be, what time company is coming, and whether or not I think I can get food on the table before 9pm.  Of course a more put-together person would make this up the night before, but that’s just not my style (though I sincerely recommend you make it yours.)  Either way, I like to prepare this drink by the glass instead of in one big batch, so I can modify individual drinks to suit each person’s tastes…which is really just a nice way of saying that some of my friends are lightweights and prefer 1/4 cup gin to my suggested 1/3.  You and your liver talk amongst yourselves and decide what amount is best for you.

[Serves 4] -2 cups watermelon (or about 1/2 of a 2 lb melon), rind removed and cubed -About 20 fresh mint leaves -3 cups lemonade* (freshly made, or at least not-from-concentrate) -2 cups Bombay Sapphire Gin 16 ice cubes Puree watermelon, mint, and 1/2 cup of lemonade in a food processor or blender for 1-2 minutes until thoroughly broken down.  Strain mixture through a sieve to remove any seeds and larger bits of pulp. Add 4 ice cubes to a 16oz glass (pint glasses are 16oz exactly) and fill with 1/3 cup with the watermelon puree.  Add 1/3 cup of gin, and top off with lemonade (a little bump over 1/3 cup.)  Serve with a lemon wedge and sprig of mint and enjoy!

2 ripe lemons=just over 1/3 cup juice

*Though I don’t always have the time to make my own lemonade, there is no question that this drink is better using homemade.  If you’re in a bind, Simply Lemonade is great—it’s made from actual lemons, sugar, and water, which is pretty much the stuff you expect to find in lemonade (Isn’t it sad when finding food products made from actual food becomes a cause for excitement?)  Of course it’s from Florida, which makes it very oil-expensive for California residents like me.  Then again, if you live anywhere but California or Florida, lemons are already coming to you from far away, so it’s your call.  I think lemons are right up there with artichokes and avocados on the list of things I would have to import if I ever left the Southland…Anyway, you should definitely dry this drink at least once with the real stuff, because it’s delicious.

Homemade Lemonade

[Yields 3 cups—perfect for 4 Westsiders] -2/3 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (requires 4-6 lemons, depending on ripeness.) -1/3 cup sugar -1 cup ice water -1 cup hot water Juice your lemons into a cup, strain or hand remove the seeds, and transfer to a pitcher.  [Note: Jeremy’s step mom Jill taught me that under-ripe lemons are a lot easier to juice if you let them sit in a bowl of hot (but not so hot that you can’t touch it!) water for a few minutes before rolling them firmly between your hand and the counter to loosen the insides.  If you do this before cutting into them, you will be able to extract more juice with less effort.  Ripe lemons need only to be rolled before cutting.  Ripe lemons will give right away to rolling, and feel soft when you press on them.  Unripe lemons will laugh at your attempt to roll them and stay nice and firm.  Obviously, buying ripe lemons is better than unripe, but I know that that’s easier done in LA than other places.] Heat 1 cup of water with 1/3 cup sugar.  Stir constantly until sugar is dissolved and remove from heat.  Add mixture to the remaining 1 cup of cold water, and mix with the lemon juice.  Chill, and serve (or set aside for use in the westsider!) [Note:  I’ve found that the perfect ratio for lemonade is 1 part sugar, 2 parts lemon juice, and 6 parts water.  With that in mind, you can make any volume of lemonade you please!]