Lemonade recipe by Warren cook is blue-ribbon winner

Warren

Warren cook Kim Biegacki’s Basil-Infused Watermelon Lemonade recipe has been awarded a blue ribbon from Just a Pinch Recipe Club (www.justapinch.com), a new online social community created for and by cooks in hometown America.

The award was given by Just a Pinch Food Editor Janet Tharpe.

“We loved the freshness of this lemonade,” Tharpe said. “The basil flavor is surprisingly light and really adds an earthy lift.”

Tharpe noted that the recipe is “rather labor-intensive, but it’s well worth it.“

“Make it as is for the whole family, or experiment with it as a cocktail mixer,” she said.

The recipe, along with thousands of others, can be viewed, printed and shared for free.

Biegacki is one of several area residents participating in the club, known as “America’s Great Recipe Swap.”

Members can post their own family tested and approved recipes, try recipes submitted by other club members, print hundreds of grocery coupons and enter recipe contests.

They also have the opportunity to utilize a personal online recipe box to save recipes, compile grocery lists and plan meals.

Discussion groups enable them to chat about recipes, share cooking tips and build relationships.

Membership is free.

Basil-Infused Watermelon Lemonade

Serves: 6-8 people

Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes

1 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup fresh basil. thinly sliced

8 cups watermelon, cubed and seeded

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, about 3 lemons

Combine 1 cup of water and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, stir in the basil. Let chill for 1 hour. Strain sugar mixture through a sieve over a bowl, and discard basil.

Place watermelon in a blender; process until smooth.

Pour watermelon puree through a fine sieve into a large bowl, reserving liquid; discard solids. Combine watermelon liquid, sugar mixture and juice in a pitcher; chill.

Garnish with fresh lemon slices and basil sprigs and serve.

Variation: Add about 8 ice cubes to the watermelon before blending. Do not strain when done. The result is more like a frozen lemonade or virgin margarita.