Today is National Lemonade Day!

Today, May 4th is National Lemonade Day!

A Basic Lemon/ Lime Ade starter ratio is 1 to 1 to 4

Example:

1 1/2 cups juice +1 1/2 cups sweetener

+ 6 cups water= pure delight

Keep it simple or try one of these souped up versions:

Tart Honey Ginger Lemonade

3 cups water

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 1/4 cups lemon juice

Bring 1 cup water, honey, sugar, and ginger to boil in heavy medium saucepan.

Stir until sugar dissolves.

Boil 5 minute… allow to cool.

Strain syrup into pitcher. 

Mix in lemon juice and remaining water.

Fill pitcher with ice.

Strawberry Lemonade

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp grated lemon peel

1 cup lemon juice  

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

2 cups cold club soda

Ice

Mint sprigs

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil.

 Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.

Add the lemon peel and lemon juice, stir, and remove from the heat.

Let cool completely

Strain into a pitcher.

Puree the strawberries in a blender.

Add to the pitcher with the lemon juice.

Add the club soda.

Serve over ice, garnished with mint.

Crushed Mint Limeade

6 large limes, thinly sliced

1 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup lime juice                                                                            

2 cups water                                                           

Ice cubes

Muddle limes, mint, sugar, and  lime juice in large bowl until mashed and juicy.

Mix 2 cups water into lime liquid and pulp in bowl.

Fill pitcher with ice; pour in the limeade.

Let stand 5 minutes to cool, and serve

From "Garden Table", by Mango Dragonfly, available on Amazon.

WWW.mangodragonfly.com

Divinely Easy Hollandaise Sauce!

    Since 1593, Hollandaise sauce has been thought of as a rare and precious treat reserved for company or special occasions.  This recipe makes it ridiculously simple to change your same old, same old Tuesday night chicken into Wow.  While you are at it, make a double batch of hollandaise to have in the fridge ready to jazz up a piece of fish, chicken breast or steamed vegetables later in the week…add capers for “Sauce Aux Capres”…a dab of tomato puree for lovely rose colored “Sauce Choron" and some minced tarragon for a creamy, delicious Bearnaise sauce.

Divinely Easy Hollandaise Sauce

3 large egg yolks

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup melted unsalted butter

salt

black pepper

Blend the egg yolks and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. 

With the motor running, slowly trickle in the melted butter in a very thin stream. 

Stop as soon as the sauce has emulsified.

 Poached Eggs on Artichoke Hearts with Hollandaise Sauce

~Acids help proteins coagulate, so adding either vinegar or lemon juice to egg poaching water helps the eggs keep it together…thank you Marc for this little trick.

 

4 eggs

1 tsp white vinegar

4 artichoke bottoms, canned

Hollandaise sauce…see below

Butter the bottom of a 2-quart heavy saucepan.

Add 2” of water.

Add vinegar and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Break eggs and gently slide into the water one at a time.

Keep water at barely a simmer until the whites are firm, about 2 minutes.

Put artichoke bottoms on a plate.

Using a slotted spoon, remove an egg from the water, dribble a second or two, then place on top of the artichoke heart.

Top with generous dollops of Hollandaise sauce.

From "Love fest" by Mango Dragonfly...available on Amazon.

www.mangodragonfly.com