Summer is lemonade season. But what about limeade, it’s oft-ignored sister?

You can easily make a quart of limeade with a can of frozen concentrate. Limeade is a refreshing base for a cocktail. Fill a rocks or highball glass with limeade and ice; then add gin, tequila or vodka to taste.

While frozen concentrate is slightly easier, this limeade recipe can be made in 15 minutes. Give it a try: Friends and family will find it more special, since its so much more rarely served than lemonade.

RECIPE: LIMEADE

We adapted this recipe from one by Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes. Prep time is just 15 minutes, plus chilling (or if you can’t wait, add ice cubes).

As with any cold drink, it’s easier to make simple syrup rather than trying to get straight sugar to completely dissolve. It takes only as much time as the water to boil. If for whatever reason you don’t want to make simple syrup, superfine sugar is a second choice.

For a more exciting lime flavor, the simple syrup is infused with lime zest. Grate extra lime zest for a glass rimmer.

The proportion of sugar is a guideline. You can use less if you like your drink less sweet. Also, limes can have different levels* of tartness. If you want to hedge your bets, use only 3/4 of the simple syrup, taste the finished limeade, and decide if you want to add the rest.

Ingredients For 1 Quart

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the simple syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, one cup of water and the lime zest, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve any remaining sugar granules, remove the pot from the heat and set aside to cool.
The amount of sugar is a guideline, it depends on how sweet you like your limeade and how tart your particular limes are.

2. STRAIN out the lime zest: Place a strainer over a bowl or serving pitcher and pour the sugar syrup through it, straining out the zest.

3. ADD the lime juice and 2 cups of water and taste. If it’s too sweet, add a bit more lime juice. Add several sprigs of fresh mint.

4. CHILL or serve immediately over ice.

Variations

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*Limes have a slightly higher acid content: On average, it’s about 6% for limes and 4.5% for lemons. Lemons have more fructose (fruit sugar): 2% for lemons, and between 0.5% and 0.75% for limes. Sugar has a suppressive effect on the perception of sourness, so lemon juice will appear to taste a bit less sour than lime juice. The composition of acids in the two also differ. The acid in lemon juice is almost entirely citric acid, which also makes up most of the acid in limes. However, limes include about 10% each of succinic acid and malic acid which have an effect on their flavor. Source: Craft Cocktails at Home by Kevin Liu.

[2] Make a lime zest and sugar rim (photo courtesy Saint Marc Pub-Cafe | Huntington Beach, CA.

[3] Blueberry limeade, Here’s the recipe from Ciao Florentina.

[4] Cucumber limeade: Just add sliced cucumbers. Here’s a recipe from Saveur.

It is believed that lemons derived from limes. In fact, if limes are left on the tree to fully ripen, they turn yellow and are indistinguishable from lemons. They’re harvested when green to prevent confusion at the market.

 
The first known mention of limes in Western literature is Sir Thomas Herbert’s Travels, published in 1677. He speaks of finding “oranges, lemons, and limes” on the island of Mohelia off Mozambique.

Here’s a full lime history, the difference between Persian/Tahitian and Key/Mexican limes, and a photo glossary of the different types of limes the world over.

Our favorite example: The blood lime of Australia is red inside and out!

So before we head out to find new favorites, here are five more of our current faves, in alphabetical order.
 
 
1. BELVOIR FRUIT FARMS: CORDIALS & FLAVORED LEMONADES

Belvoir calls their beverages “non-alcoholic fruit cordials.” We’d call them elegant non-alcoholic sparkling drinks or a very sophisticated soft drink. But evidently, in the English countryside where they are made, says the company:

“Cordials were originally a way for country people to preserve some of each summer’s glut of fruit for the coming winter. Adding sugar to the fruit juice would stop fermentation and keep the juice fresh for a few months.”

Belvoir Castle is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Rutland. The current duke’s mother infused elderflowers, grown on the estate, into a delicious beverage for family and friends, who couldn’t get enough of it.

Her husband saw a revenue potential, and the family business has been pressing and cooking fresh flowers, fruits and spices since 1981, combining them with local spring water. The line expanded, and is now sold worldwide.

The all-natural flavors include:

Discover more at BelvoirFruitFarms.com.

Trivia: Originally, all the elderflowers were handpicked from bushes growing around Lord and Lady John Manners’ garden. The whole family helped to make the first batch of elderflower cordial, chopping the lemons and stirring the syrup. Lord John then popped the 88 cases of drinks into the back of his car and went around to local farm shops, persuading the owners to buy a bottle or two.
 
 
2. CHOLULA HOT SAUCE: SWEET HABANERO

Cholula Hot Sauce as had a cult following for some time. Now the cult has another flavor to enjoy.

Sweet Habanero is a limited-edition flavor in a line that includes Chili Garlic, Chili Lime, Chipotle, Green Pepper and Original. The sweetness comes from pineapple flavor, and it’s a charmer, especially to those, like us, who like sweet + heat.

The brand is thanking fans for their support by launching the Order of Cholula, in tandem with the new Sweet Habanero.

Only 1,000 bottles of Sweet Habanero were made, so head to the Order Of Cholula and sign up.

Trivia: The hot sauce is named after the 2,500-year-old city of Cholula, Puebla, the oldest still-inhabited city in Mexico. The name is derived from the Nahuatl (Aztec language) Chollollan, meaning “the place of the retreat.”

Cholula, a third-generation family business, is now licensed by Jose Cuervo. It was begin by the Harrison family, originally of Chapala, Jalisco, now of Dallas, Texas. The image on the bottle is a portrait of Harrison family matriarch, Camila Harrison.

Café Valley Bakery, a leading bakery producer for better grocers, has partnered with Dr. Pepper to create a Dr. Pepper Cake.

We’re wary of foods that sound like gimmicks, but we’re always willing to try a sample when offered. We’re both happy and sad about this, because Dr. Pepper Cake is so delightful, we ate the whole thing.

Made with real Dr. Pepper, the cake has a bottom of yellow cake, topped by a Dr. Pepper-flavored layer. The cake is drizzled with white icing.

Dr. Pepper Cake is is certified kosher (dairy) by OK Kosher. It joins an array Café Valley Bakery soda cakes, including 7UP, Orange Crush, and A&W Root Beer (we haven’t tried any of these).

The new flavor is available at grocers nationwide. The 26-ounce cake has a suggested retail price of $5.99. Here are the retailers that carry the line.

Trivia: The Dr. Pepper soft drink is made from a secret formula of 23 flavorings.
 
 
4. P.B. CRAVE: COCONUT MILK CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER

We have long been fans of P.B. Crave’s flavored peanut butters. These days, the line includes peanut butter and chocolate combinations:

 
and the latest:

[3] A Dr. Pepper Cake, which goes great with…Dr. Pepper soda pop (photo courtesy Dr. Pepper). [4] The latest in a line of chocolate-peanut butter flavors (photo courtesy PB Crave).

Resistance is futile!

Discover more of this all-natural line at PBCrave.com. Might we suggest an all-flavor tasting party?

Trivia: Peanut butter was originally developed by a physician as a protein-packed food for patients who no longer had teeth to chew meat. Here’s the history of peanut butter.

[1] Roast turkey is a year-round treat, especially when all you have to do is put a frozen turkey in a bag in the oven (photos #1 and #2 © Jennie-O).

[2] The turkey is packaged in an easy-to-carry bag.

[3] Sweet potato salad made summery with corn and tomatoes. Here’s the recipe (photo © Averie Cooks).

June is National Turkey Lover’s Month.

There are turkey burgers and turkey hot dogs, ground turkey for meatballs or meat loaf, and turkey sandwiches from turkey breast or [far less appealing] turkey roll.

But the turkey everyone looks forward to is the Thanksgiving turkey (well, except a few folks like our friend Terry’s dad, who doesn’t like poultry).

So why is a roast turkey on the table only once a year?

How about a turkey for July 4th. (After all, it was almost our national bird.)
 
 
> The history of turkey.
 
 
JENNIE-O: THE EASIEST ROAST TURKEY YOU CAN MAKE, ANYTIME

You can have a delicious turkey (photo #1) year-round with very little effort, with an oven-ready frozen turkey from Jennie-O. It’s our best discovery so far this year.

The turkey comes in a bag with a handle for easy carrying (photo #2). Thanks to whomever thought of this (and other turkey producers, take note).

Just take the turkey from the freezer, remove the outer bag, and place the frozen turkey, housed in an inner bag, into the oven.

That’s it: There’s nothing to baste or watch over. It cooks up super-moist and juicy. And clean-up is minimal.

We received our Jennie-O Oven-Ready Whole Turkey as a sample. We couldn’t believe it would be as easy as described, or produce as good a turkey as the typical frozen turkey, thawed before roasting.

But it is! Jennie-O has a new customer in us, and we’ll have whole roasted turkey much more often, and soon (see the next section).

We also will likely forgo our annual heirloom bird at Thanksgiving, because Jennie-O Oven Ready is just too easy to pass up. (And who likes to scrub a roasting pan?)
 
 
TURKEY FOR JULY 4TH

We’re having a roast turkey on July 4th. Turkey was almost America’s national bird, after all. As for those burgers, franks, chicken and steaks: We have them all the time. They’re not exactly a celebration.

There won’t be stuffing or cranberry sauce. We’re making summer sides: sweet potato salad, and a farmers market green salad with a dried cranberry vinaigrette.

We have three bags of cranberries in the freezer, and are planning cranberry sorbet for dessert.

Some participants have been asked to bring potluck dishes that complement a summer roast turkey. We know two of them: corn salad and zucchini ribbon “pasta” salad. We can’t wait to see what the others bring!
 
 
BACK TO JENNIE-O…

Jennie-O Oven Ready Whole Turkey is also available with Cajun seasonings. Both come with a packet of gravy.

The gravy included with our turkey is not the greatest; but we added Gravy Master, and then bourbon, which helped.

Truth to tell, the turkey is so moist and flavorful, no gravy is necessary. Or, you can make gravy from the drippings in the bag.

Check out the line of Jennie-O turkey products including fresh, natural turkeys; cutlets; franks and brats; burgers and ground meat; tenderloins; sausages; meatballs, bacon; even turkey pot roast!

Need turkey tips? Visit Jennie-O for:

We have the bad habit of collecting recipes. Not making them, mind you, just collecting them.

Whether torn from magazines or saved digitally, we have so many recipes, we could publish a cookbook series called “Recipes We Never Tried.”

Yesterday, we tore from The New York Times the this recipe for namoura, a Lebanese semolina pan cake, soaked in a flavored sugar-syrup and garnished with almonds.

It sounded delicious and we wanted to try it, but we wondered if we’d ever get around to making it. And then we created a tip for ourselves:

A Really Good Idea

Once a month, go through the collection of Recipes We Never Tried and make one, just one. At the same time, toss 10 recipes we’re not likely to make anytime soon, if ever.

If you do this on a Friday night or Saturday morning, you have the weekend to cook the chosen recipe.

Following the accounting principle of FIFO—first in, first out—we’re making namoura on Saturday. If we don’t get to Kalustyan’s for lavender extract, we’ll use rose water.

What We’re Tossing Today

Digging through the pile, we came across the recipe below, from Whole Foods. We’re not sure why we saved it; we make crostini with goat cheese and strawberries often.

But since it’s summer and strawberries are a nice summer crostini topping, before we hit the delete button, we share it with you, adapted from the original.

More Summer Crostini Suggestions

Try this BLT guacamole crostini recipe with juicy summer heirloom cherry tomatoes.

For entertaining, set up a DIY crostini bar (or if you’re outdoors near a grill, a DIY bruschetta bar.

The difference between crostini and bruschetta starts with the bread: crostini is toasted; bruschetta is rubbed with a garlic clove, brushed with olive oil and grilled.

RECIPE: GOAT CHEESE & STRAWBERRY OR TOMATO CROSTINI

Ingredients

 
Preparation

[1] and [2] The crostini recipe (photos courtesy Whole Foods) with [3] strawberries (photo courtesy Good Eggs). Or, [4] substitute tomatoes for the strawberries (photo courtesy Sunset Produce).

2a. DRIZZLE with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with basil and a generous amount of black pepper.

2b. VARIATION: Instead of drizzling, toss the diced berries and basil in oil and vinegar.

The variation makes the crostini less drippy than if they were drizzled with oil and vinegar; and it better integrates the strawberries and basil. The net taste remains the same.
FOOD 101: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN APPETIZERS & HORS D’OEUVRE

These terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference:

Hors d’oeuvre, pronounced or-DERV, a French term that refers to finger food(s) served with drinks prior to the meal. The name means “outside the work,” i.e., not part of the main meal.

Hors d’oeuvre were traditionally one-bite items, artistically constructed, like canapés (a subgroup of hors d’oeuvre). Today, in the U.S., the category of has expanded to include such bites as mini quiches and tarts, skewers, baby lamb chops, stuffed mushrooms, etc.

Note that in French, there’s no extra “s” for the plural: It’s the same spelling as the singular form.

An appetizer is a first course, served at the table and, in larger portions than hors d’oeuvre.

While you can plate multiple hors d’oeuvres as an appetizer, an appetizer can be many things—from a crab cake to a plated slice of quiche to a salad (in the U.S.—the French serve salad after the main course).

What about crackers and cheese, crudités and dips, salsa and chips, and other American snack foods served with pre-dinner drinks?

Since they are finger foods, technically you can call them hors d’oeuvre. Or, as the French might say (sneer?), American hors d’oeuvre.

[2] Fish tacos with mango. Here’s the recipe (photo © How Sweet It Is).

[3] Tacos with black beans and fried chicken (photo © Karen Culp | Burst).

[4] Bean and chicken tacos (photo © Racool | Free Range Stock).

The 2017 summer solstice falls on Wednesday, June 21st at 12:24 A.M. If you’re having a midnight dinner tonight, you can officially have summer tacos.

What are summer tacos? Tacos with lighter ingredients: chicken, fish, and vegetarian instead of beef; summer vegetables used as a garnish or in vegetarian tacos.

Bonus: These ingredients are more bountiful in the summer; hence, better priced.

Beyond summertime, check out these taco holidays: