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A cool watermelon margarita to mark the end of summer

Recipe: Adult drink easily can be a kid-friendly refresher, too


Watermelon margarita
A refreshing way to mark summer's end.
(Photos: Kathy Morrison)

Too hot to bake, and the air's too yucky to be outside. Yet it's Labor Day weekend, the traditional end of summer. So celebrate with the ultimate summer fruit -- watermelon -- in an easy and very cool margarita cocktail.

Watermelon growers must have had a good year, because the stores and markets have been full of them. I snagged a big Vierra Farms black watermelon for a great price, but had to wait to break it down because my refrigerator was packed.

When I finally had some space available, I decided to turn one half of the melon into melon balls while collecting the juice for this drink, which I adapted from a recipe on the New York Times Cooking site. Watermelon is practically liquid, anyway, so that went pretty fast. I only had to watch for seeds, since this variety is a seeded one.

But alternatively you can cut the rind off a hunk of melon, chop it into chunks, toss the chunks into a blender, then strain out any seeds and the mushy solids. Do this ahead of time and the cocktail goes together quite easily.

Have plenty of limes on hand, since fresh lime juice balances the sweet melon perfectly.

Drink ingredients
Have everything ready before you start mixing.

A note on the liquor ingredients: The tequila plus Cointreau makes it taste like a traditional margarita. If you'd rather have more fruit flavor than alcohol, skip the Cointreau, but increase the tequila by 1/2 ounce and the watermelon juice by 1 ounce.

And if your kids want to join the party, a nonalcoholic variation follows the main recipe.

Watermelon margarita

Adapted from the New York Times

Serves 1

Ingredients:

Ice, as needed

3 ounces fresh watermelon juice

1 ounce tequila (clear or "silver" variety preferred)

1 ounce Cointreau (optional, see note above)

1 ounce fresh lime juice, rinds reserved

For glass and garnish:

Fine sea salt

Watermelon balls

Cross-wise slices of jalapeño

""
Cool, sweet and salty all at once. Put another
jalapeño slice in the drink for a spicy pop.


Instructions:

Prepare the glass by running a reserved lime juice rind along the rim of the glass, then dipping the rim into a flat saucer containing the sea salt. Put the watermelon balls and the jalapeño slice on a toothpick for the garnish.

Make the drink: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. If you don't have a shaker (I don't), try using a clean liter-size reusable hydration bottle; the drink opening makes a decent strainer.

To the shaker, add the watermelon juice, tequila, Cointreau (if using) and lime juice. (If you want a spicy bite to your drink, toss a jalapeño slice into the shaker, too.) Shake to combine.

Add ice to the prepared glass. Strain the drink into the glass. Add the prepared garnish, and raise the glass in a toast to the end of this long, hot summer.

Non-alcoholic version: In the shaker with ice, combine 4 ounces watermelon juice and 1 ounce lime juice. Shake and pour into a glass with ice. Add enough sparkling water, lemon-lime soda or ginger ale to fill the glass. Garnish with melon balls, if desired.

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RECIPE

A recipe for preparing delicious meals from the bounty of the garden.

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During this stormy week, let the rain soak in while making plans for all the things you’re going to plant soon:

* During rainy weather, turn off the sprinklers. After a good soaking from winter storms, lawns can go at least a week without sprinklers, according to irrigation experts. For an average California home, that week off from watering can save 800 gallons.

* February serves as a wake-up call to gardeners. This month, you can transplant or direct-seed several flowers, including snapdragon, candytuft, lilies, astilbe, larkspur, Shasta and painted daisies, stocks, bleeding heart and coral bells.

* In the vegetable garden, plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers, and strawberry and rhubarb roots.

* Transplant cabbage and its close cousins – broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts – as well as lettuce (both loose leaf and head).

* Indoors, start peppers, tomatoes and eggplant from seed.

* Plant artichokes, asparagus and horseradish from root divisions.

* Plant potatoes from tubers and onions from sets (small bulbs). The onions will sprout quickly and can be used as green onions in March.

* From seed, plant beets, chard, lettuce, mustard, peas, radishes and turnips.

* Annuals are showing up in nurseries, but wait until the weather warms up a bit before planting. Instead, set out flowering perennials such as columbine and delphinium.

* Plant summer-flowering bulbs including cannas, calla lilies and gladiolus.

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