FROZEN HONEYDEW DAIQUIRI
“Great is the sun, and wide he goes, Through empty heaven with repose;
And in the blue and glowing days, More thick than rain he showers his rays.
Though closer still the blinds we pull, To keep the shady parlour cool,
Yet he will find a chink or two, To slip his golden fingers through.
The dusty attic spider-clad, He, through the keyhole, maketh glad;
And through the broken edge of tiles, Into the laddered hay-loft smiles.
Meantime his golden face around, He bares to all the garden ground,
And sheds a warm and glittering look, Among the ivy’s inmost nook.
Above the hills, along the blue, Round the bright air with footing true,
To please the child, to paint the rose, The gardener of the World, he goes."
- Robert Louis Stevenson, Summer Sun
Hello, summer! True, it’s not officially summer yet. But with Memorial Day behind us, it is without question flip flops and beach season. We just booked tickets for our summer vacation to Louisiana and Florida. We’re going in mid-July … just in time for the hottest, most humid days of summer. (Seriously, my hair is already frizzing at the thought of all that humidity!)
On our last summer vacation to Louisiana, we spent a few days down in New Orleans, and it was so incredibly hot that the only way we could stay cool enough to walk around was by gulping down frosty cold drinks. Luckily, there was a daiquiri bar on just about every street corner.
We sampled a bunch of flavors (when in New Orleans, right?), but the one that really stood out was a honeydew daiquiri from a stand at the French Market. It was remarkably refreshing and delicious — the perfect union of fresh fruit and boozy goodness!
I actually wanted to share this recipe before Memorial Day weekend, but I’ve been tinkering with it and testing it to make sure I got it right. This recipe has no Midori in it because I didn’t want it to have that saccharine quality that so many daiquiris seem to have. I personally like cocktails that are very fresh without all that added syrup or sugar. At first, I experimented with a little honey and stevia, trying to balance it with the tartness of the lime. I also tried blending it with ice, but it diluted the melon flavor.
Ultimately, I realized that simple is best, and the flavor of the honeydew alone was just right. The key is choosing a very ripe honeydew to ensure it will be nice and sweet, and then freezing it so you can blend the frozen fruit without any ice. Trust me when I say that this is summer vacation in a glass … I know this will be on repeat for us all season long, especially as the temps start rising. Hope you’ll give it a try this summer!
FROZEN HONEYDEW DAIQUIRI
Ingredients (serves 1):
2 cups honeydew, cubed and frozen
1.5 oz light rum
1 tsp lime juice
Directions:
Remove rind from honeydew and cut into cubes. Place cubes into freezer bag, lay bag flat in freezer and freeze honeydew for at least an hour. Blend all ingredients together in blender, garnish with lime wedge and drink umbrella, and enjoy!