A blender and tequila can fix anything.

I suck at buying melons.  I know this about myself, but when I recently offered to bring a watermelon and feta salad to a get-together, I threw caution to the wind and picked out what I thought would be edible at the local natural foods store.  Apparently all that thumping, sniffing, and turning in my hands was ineffective, because when I cut into the damn thing, it tasted like almost nothing and had the consistency of felt in my mouth.  The salad was definitely not happening. 

But I hate to waste food, and I still liked the thought of having watermelon on a hot, stinky day.  I sprinkled some sugar on it and it tasted a bit more like watermelon.  I sprinkled some lime juice on it and it was better yet.  And then a drink was born...

Watermelon Mojitos

Makes 4 drink

[You could be a purist and stick with mint and rum, but I like this variation very much.]

1/2 of one small watermelon, remove from rind and cut into chunks
juice of 1 lime
4 tablespoons sugar
generous handful of fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup tequila

Combine all ingredients in blend and liquify.  Pour it into a glass and drink it.

A Midsummer Feast

Happy Summer Solstice, everyone!  Although I am already complaining about the heat (really?  100 degrees this weekend for the Fort Collins Brew Fest?!?!), I really do love the excuse to sit on the patio and eat and drink right from the garden.  The Scandinavians have it right: their Midsummer Festival is almost as important as Christmas, and it involves plenty of consumption.  Here's my dream menu for this holiday, which I think we should all celebrate tonight:

~Midsummer Menu~

Watermelon Mojitos

Moroccan Spiced Grapes

Scandinavian Melon Salad

Savory Greens Pie

Garbanzo and Raisin Salad

Salmon Cakes

Scandinavian Rhubarb Crumble

Mojitos, with and without coconut

I have a glut of mint in my garden at this point, and I have been chopping it into green salads, tabouleh, and making tea from it. But, do you know why I really planted it in the beginning? It was for the mojtos. Think what you want, but I like my drinks to taste good before I cannot remember what day it is, and those mojito mixes at the grocery store taste like toothpaste. Gross. The good news is, mint is very hearty; it overwinters and requires no maintenance whatsoever in my northern Colorado garden. If you live in a harsher climate than mine (Wyoming and Montana friends), it is also happy to live in a pot on the windowsill.




Traditional mojito (measurements are for one drink)

1 generous handful of mint, including stems
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 shots rum

Toss mint and sugar into a shaker and pound vigorously with a wooden spoon. Beat that mint like you’re trying to murder it—and don’t be impatient. Then, add the rest of the ingredients plus a few cubes of ice and shake. You can garnish your drink with a sprig of mint of a lime slice if you want to take the time for that sort of thing …



Island mojito

This is a bastardization, but it’s delicious. Take the above recipe, cut the sugar to 2 teaspoons, and add in 1 generous shot of coconut cream, found in the “mixers” aisle in your grocery store. The resulting drink will be foamy and creamy and will have a nice hint of coconut to it.