We need a little refreshment this stifling summer. The heat takes me back to summers from decades ago, when families gathered by the river or near the old Roman thermal baths to enjoy the shade of ancient oaks and the cool spring water, feeling like they were on holiday even though they were only a few kilometres from home. Towns are not completely empty yet — a few cars still drive back to escape the worst of the heat. The countryside lies quiet, interrupted only by the chirping of crickets and the occasional bark of a distant dog.
According to the forecast, today will be the hottest of the summer in Italy. We’re ready: an iced homemade drink so fresh you can taste the citrus, served in an unexpected glass and glowing a tropical shade of pink. Happy Sunday!
What should you call it? It resembles lemonade but is made entirely from pink grapefruit — so perhaps it deserves its own name. As Shakespeare observed, what a thing is called doesn’t change its essence. By any name, this drink remains wonderfully refreshing, with a pleasant, slightly bitter finish.
Later in the day, when shadows lengthen and a breeze picks up, add a splash of vodka for a light, refreshing cocktail.
Grapefruit pink lemonade
Giulia
Ingredients
- 2 pink organic grapefruits
- 6 tablespoons sugar + a few tablespoons for decorating
- fresh water and ice
- mint to decorate
Instructions
-
Squeeze the grapefruits into a bowl to collect all the juice, then strain the juice into a pitcher.
-
Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Pour in cold water to taste. For a bright, refreshing drink use one part grapefruit juice to two parts cold water.
-
Decorate the rims of the glasses with a little sugar and serve the pink grapefruit drink over ice with a sprig of fresh mint.
Order now Vegetables the Italian WayWith more than 70 seasonal recipes, it celebrates the instinctive, resourceful spirit of Italian home cooking.
Link Love
- Ginger Lemonade – a recipe from last August that became our go-to remedy for heat; it’s my father’s favourite.
- Pink lemonade by BBC Goodfood — adding raspberries to homemade lemonade gives it a tangy flavour and a vivid pink hue.
- Rhubarb and strawberry lemonade by Green Kitchen Stories — their take on homemade lemonade is delicious; the result beats store-bought versions and fills the kitchen with a wonderful scent from fruit and spices.