And speaking of spirits (the alcoholic in nature kind), what better way to celebrate the beginning of summer than with a Watermelon martini. Is this not what 'summer in a glass' was meant to be?
I love almost all of the fruits and vegetables of summer, but watermelon ranks as one of my favorites. And lately I have been eating more than my fair share of it. For me, watermelon has just the right amount of sweet and is just the right amount of refreshing, particularly on a hot, humid weather day. Botanicially watermelons are considered fruits (and are consumed as fruits), however, scientifically they are a member of the gourd family (which also makes them a vegetable). Hey, you never know when fruit/vegetable trivia may come in handy.
I didn't think it was possible to love this 'summer fruit, summer vegetable' more than I already do. Until the discovery of the juice of a watermelon combined with citron vodka, freshly squeezed lime juice, and Midori liqueur happened.
If watermelon is the ideal health food (it doesn't contain any fat or cholesterol, is high in fiber, Vitamins A and C, and a great source of potassium), should we give consideration to the possibility that the Watermelon Martini is the ideal 'healthy' martini? Okay, maybe it is a stretch to think anything containing alcohol is healthy, but in concept this sounds plausible. Doesn't it?
A seedless watermelon cut into chunks, pureed in a food processor, and then strained yields a most delicious watermelon juice. In the making of this martini, the cloudiness of the watermelon juice is greatly reduced if the pureed/strained juice is allowed to chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before using. I was in too much of hurry to wait (patience was not a virtue today) so these photos show what a watermelon martini looks like without the wait time.
In addition to the watermelon juice, the martini's ingredients include ctiron vodka, Midori liqueur and freshly squeezed lime juice. If you have never had Midori before, it is a sweet, bright-green in color, muskmelon flavored liqueur. Some Watermelon Martini recipes call for the use of simple syrup (for added sweetness), but the Midori Liqueur adds more than a little sweetness, it adds a wonderful melon flavor to the martini. It compliments the flavor of the watermelon perfectly.
A small seedless watermelon will give you more than enough watermelon juice to make a batch of martinis for a small gathering. The basic Watermelon martini recipe calls for 3 ounces of watermelon juice, 2 ounces citron vodka, 1 ounce Midori Liqueur and 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice. All of the ingredients go into a martini shaker filled with ice. The shaken martini is poured into a martini glass rimmed with superfine sugar, then garnished with a wedge of watermelon (the wedge of watermelon is there to help give the impression of a healthy cocktail).
Celebrating the summer solstice was merely a convenient reason to make a Watermelon martini. But something this delicious doesn't need a reason to be made. Happy Summer.
Recipe
Watermelon Martini
Ingredients
3 ounces strained, chilled watermelon juice (made from a small seedless watermelon)
2 ounces citron vodka (Absolut Citron or Grey Goose Citron)
1 ounce Midori (melon) liqueur
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
Superfine sugar (for rim)
Slice of watermelon for garnish
Ice
Directions
1. Puree chunks of a small watermelon in a food processor. Pour mixture into a strainer. Chill watermelon juice for at least one hour before using (the chilling is not a deal breaker, it only changes the finished look of the martini). Discard the pulp left in the strainer.
2. In a martini shaker filled with ice, add 3 ounces watermelon juice, 2 ounces citron vodka, 1 ounce Midori liqueur and 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice. Shake vigorously.
3. Pour martini into a superfine sugar rimmed martini glass. Garnish with a thin slice of watermelon.
