Gingered Watermelon Punch

With the mercury reaching 100 and beyond each day of the week, we have been opting for fresh fruit juices over the packaged ones, more often than before. We love watermelons and no trip to the farmer’s market is complete without getting a ripe watermelon- when in season. This year was no different and as always half the watermelon went in to the blender with a dash of salt and fresh ground black pepper and some ice – till I came across this recipe that called for ginger – in The Essential Asian Cookbook. The book provides a collection of dishes, both vegetarian and otherwise, from across Asia.

The aroma and the flavor of fresh ginger just gave the juice the pizzazz it needed! I also added a teaspoon of lemon juice to give it that additional burst of tartness and make it the perfect punch for a hot Texas summer day.

Ingredients

3 cups of Watermelon, seedless and skin removed, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon Ginger, freshly grated

1 teaspoon Lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 teaspoon Black Pepper, freshly ground

A few ice cubes

Salt

Method

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend for 2-3 minutes till an even suspension is seen. Serve chilled.

This recipe serves 2-3. I use ice cubes, even if the watermelon is chilled. This punch pairs well even with alcohol. For an alcoholic punch, add ½ cup of Vodka or to give it a Margarita twist, add ¼- ½ cup Tequila and add more ice for a frozen drink. Before pouring the punch, dip the rim of the glass in lemon juice and dab in salt to give that Margarita touch.