Watermelon - Cocktails, Mocktails & an Appetizer

This week, I’ve been whirring and stirring watermelon.  The mad scientist in me found the whole adventure rather wonderful.  My husband was initially a bit dubious as I offered him tastes of various drinks.  But being a good sport, he joined in the fun as I combined watermelon with other fruits and vegetables. 

Even though it is mostly water (over 90%), watermelon has a distinctive taste.  After blending it into juice, I experimented by mixing watermelon with different juices and juice drinks such as lemonade, adding it to cocktails, and using it as an ingredient in soup.  I found one magnificent combination, a couple that were unremarkable, and a few that were intriguing.  I’ll never be a bartender and I’m hardly a mixologist, but there’s no doubt in my mind that I have only begun to explore this territory.

Large watermelons are available in my area (the Mid-Atlantic U.S). in October and the smaller ones will be around through the colder months.  In any event, normal portions of beverages or soups don’t require even more than a few cups of watermelon chunks, a container of cut-up watermelon (from the refrigerated section of the produce department) should be sufficient.

The easiest way to liquefy watermelon is in an immersion blender.  It’s quick and not messy at all if you use the tall cup that comes with the blender.  A regular blender also works, as does a food processor.

Mixing Watermelon and Other Juices

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Julia Child's Vichyssoise

I adore Julia Child for many reasons.  My love affair with everything Julia began in days of yore - before computers, cell phones, and cable TV celebrity chefs.  In the 1970s, I flambéd my way through my junior year of college.  Mastering the Art of French Cooking and a book of matches taught me more about experimentation than any science course I ever managed to barely pass.  Through several of her books and countless episodes of her cooking shows, I learned more valuable lessons than how to use a pastry bag or truss a chicken.  

Not too long ago, the social media world starting buzzing with news of a celebration of the 100^th anniversary of Julia Child’s birth.  I decided to participate in the festivities in my own way.  Occasionally I’ll join in the “Julia Child recipe of the week,” including vichyssoise (a chilled leek and potato soup) this week.  

But my real homage to her will be those times when I stop what I’m doing – in the kitchen, at the table, or elsewhere - and think about how much braver I am and how much more fun I have, when I think “what would Julia have done?”

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Chilled zucchini and mint soup - a summer delight

Summer is a great time for chilled soup.  Zucchini plentiful at the farmers’ market and in grocery stores, so it is a natural “base” for a refreshing first course, or the centerpiece for a soup and salad meal.  My easy recipe uses yogurt and mint as the other main flavors in the soup, with a bit of garlic and scallions for a little zip.

                This soup is divine on a hot day. When chilled, its consistency is substantial, but light.

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