Over the weekend, we made batches of these cocktail recipes from bartender Wells Adams of Bachelor in Paradise.

Wells partnered with Tropicana to craft two juicy cocktails: Tropicana’s Tequila Sunset and Wells’ Watermelon Spritz.

Both of our pitchers were emptied within an hour!

You can turn either cocktail into a mocktail by substituting ginger ale for the alcohol.
 
 
RECIPE #1: TROPICANA TEQUILA SUNSET

This cocktail is a riff on the Tequila Sunrise, a cocktail made of tequila, orange juice and grenadine and served unmixed in a tall glass. Unmixed, the gradations of orange and red resemble a sunrise.

The original was created in the 1930s at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in the 1930s. It contained tequila, creme de cassis, lime juice and soda water. The recipe was revised and popularized in Sausalito in the early 1970s [source].

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the juice and tequila in a Collins glass over ice. Stir well to combine.

2. TOP with grenadine and garnish with a fresh orange wedge.
 
 
RECIPE #2: WELLS’ WATERMELON SPRITZ WITH CUCUMBERS

Cucumbers and watermelons are first cousins. Both are from the binomial order Cucurbitales and family Cucurbitaceae, differing only at the genus level: Cucumis for cucumber (the common cucumber genus/species is C. sativus) and Citrullus for watermelon (C. lanatus).

That’s why you can eat the white portion of watermelon rind—it tastes just like cucumber—or turn it into pickled watermelon rind, a.k.a. watermelon pickles.

Kirby cucumbers, specified in this recipe, were once a particular species. Now, kirby has become a generic term for any small cucumber.

[1] A riff on the classic Tequila Sunrise, this recipe uses Pineapple Mango juice instead of orange juice (both photos © Tropicana).

[2] Watermelon Spritz. “Spritz” means that carbonated water (club soda, seltzer, etc.) has been added.

Kirby skins are not skins, which mean that the skin can be eaten. It also enables the cucumbers to be pickled, skin on.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. ADD the cucumber wheels to a Collins glass. Add the vodka and the ice.

2. ADD the club soda and top with the watermelon drink. Garnish with the cucumber wheel.

[1] Strawberry gazpacho has vegetables, onion and herbs, like a basic vegetable gazpacho (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[2] The markets are filled with fresh strawberries, ready to enjoy plain or in recipes like this (photo © Good Eggs).

Our colleague Hannah Kaminsky of Bittersweet Blog added strawberries to a classic gazpacho recipe to fight “an oppressive heatwave.”

It’s a soup course, or a main course with a salad or sandwich on the side.

“Balancing sweetness with savory undertones, the subtle bite of vinegar, and fresh verdant pop of basil, it’s a delicious study in contrasts,” says Hannah.

“Don’t let the fruity feature scare you off! It’s not a vegetable-forward smoothie, but you may still want to drink it straight from the blender.”

We’ll add a smiley icon to that: 🙂

Here’s her quick-and-easy recipe. Prep time is 10 minutes, plus an hour or more to chill.
 
 
RECIPE: SAVORY STRAWBERRY GAZPACHO

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the strawberries and vegetables, along with the basil, salt, crushed red pepper and vinegar, in a blender. Blend on high speed until thoroughly puréed.

3. ADJUST the seasonings to taste, if needed. Garnish bowls with pistachios, strawberries, cucumber, and/or basil, if desired. Also consider a dollop vanilla yogurt or plain Greek yogurt.
 
 
CHECK OUT THE
HISTORY OF STRAWBERRIES

Summer is the time to eat a homemade dessert without turning on the oven.

That means fruit salad, ice cream or no-bake cookies such as this recipe of cocoa, peanut butter and oats.

Ice box cakes have long been popular, too: a layering of chocolate or vanilla “wafer” cookies with whipped cream. The recipe was popularized on boxes of Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer Cookies, which were first produced in the 1930s.

When we think of wafer cookies, we are just as likely to think of the rectangular, finger-sized sandwich cookies with a waffle pattern.

Our colleague, Hannah Kaminsky, was “inspired by the brilliant fresh flavor of real berries baked into Voortman Bakery Raspberry Wafers. Paired with fresh raspberries, those sweet wafer cookie sticks become the building blocks of even greater tastes.

“Stacking bright, vibrant layers of flavor with the greatest of ease, anyone can assemble this masterpiece in minutes.”

However, those who prefer the liqueur can enjoy a glass or small snifter of it with the cake, followed by a cup of tea or coffee.

Served immediately or within a couple of hours, the cookies will be crunchy for a resoundingly satisfying bite. After a day or overnight, they’ll become softer, like the ladyfingers in tiramisu.
 
 
RECIPE: RASPBERRY ICE BOX CAKE

forkful from top to bottom, easy to slice, serve, and fully embrace with an open mouth. Go ahead, prep well in advance, so you can be ready whenever your party springs to life.
Prep time is just 10 minutes, plus 2-4 hours chilling time.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

[1] This no-bake ice box cake is made without turning on the stove or oven (both photos © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[2] Don’t like raspberry? Voortman makes wafer cookies filled with banana or blueberry, as well as chocolate, chocolate and caramel, chocolate and raspberry, cinnamon, coconut, cookies and cream, key lime, lemon, maple, peanut butter, s’mores, strawberry and banana, strawberry, and vanilla. There are also chocolate-coated and sugar-free varieties.

2. PLACE the cream cheese with in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat briefly to soften. Add in the sugar, potato starch, 2 tablespoons of the liqueur, and orange zest, mixing thoroughly to combine. Pause to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure that everything is smoothly incorporated.

3. ARRANGE half of of the wafer cookies in an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Brush the cookies with 1 tablespoon of the liqueur and top with half of the raspberries, distributing them as equally as possible across the exposed surface.

4. SPOON half of the cream cheese mixture on top, carefully spreading it over the berries. Top with the remaining wafer cookies and press down firmly to make sure the layers are flush. You may crush some of the berries below, but it’s a small sacrifice to make for all the flavor they add.

5. BRUSH the cookies with the remaining tablespoon of liqueur, top with the final half of the raspberries, and finish with the last of the cream cheese mixture. Smooth out the cream and top with a light sprinkle of the freeze dried raspberry powder all over.

6. CHILL for at least 4 hours for the best, most sliceable results, but feel free to dig in sooner if you don’t mind dishing out messier but crunchier layers. Covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated, the cake will keep for up to 5 days, but will grow softer and more tiramisu-like.
 
 
CLASSIC ICE BOX CAKE RECIPES

[1] Freshly caught and skinned wild salmon (all photos © Sitka Salmon Shares).

[2] Line-caught salmon.

[3] After they’re caught, the fish are quickly processed.

[4] They’re blast-frozen, and shipped by FedEx to your doorstep.

We were recently invited to try a sample of Sitka Salmon Shares.

It’s a wild-caught Alaskan seafood delivery service. A collective of local fishermen pull the catch into their boats and quickly brings it to port.

There, it’s filleted, blast frozen to -50°F and individually vacuum-sealed, locking in the fresh-caught flavor.

A box of scrumptious fish is then FedExed to you.

While our box of four fillets was consumed in four days, the fish stays fresh-tasting in the freezer without degrading.

 
We tried four different varieties; each, perfection.

The CSF (Community Supported Fishery) supports small-boat family fishermen.

Whether you grow your own tomatoes or live near a supply of farm-grown beauties, put the summer abundance of fresh-off-the-vine tomatoes to use with this no-cook tomato sauce for pasta and pizza.

We often make this recipe when we come across a lot of very ripe tomatoes, priced to sell. The recipe is from DeLallo, purveyor of fine foods, with an emphasis on premium Italian products.

Also check out the numerous uses for a bounty of summer tomatoes below.
 
 
RECIPE: NO-COOK FRESH TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients For 4-6 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the chopped tomatoes in a large serving bowl. Using your hands, squeeze and smash the tomatoes to release all of their juices. Then combine them with the olive oil, garlic, basil, and salt. Set aside and allow to marinate, for up to an hour.

2. COOK the pasta according to package instructions. Drain. Immediately add the hot pasta to the serving bowl with the tomatoes. Mix to combine.

3. SERVE with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
 
 

MORE USES FOR TOMATO SAUCE

Beyond pasta and pizza, here’s how to use your fresh tomato sauce:
 
Breakfast

 
Lunch

 
Appetizers

 
Dinner Mains

[1] This no-cook tomato sauce has numerous uses beyond pasta (photos #1 and #2 © DeLallo).

[2] Extra virgin olive oil can be its own sauce. Just drizzle it over the pasta, add fresh cracked pepper and parmesan cheese.

[3] Basil with roots. With or without the roots, keep herbs in the fridge in a glass or other tall container. Add some water to the bottom. As with flowers, change the water regularly. This will keep herbs fresh, longer (photo © Good Eggs).

 
 
With all these options, why not double the recipe and enjoy it at another meal.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF TOMATOES

>THE HISTORY OF SPAGHETTI
 
 

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