Kumquat Drink Recipe (Orangina)

Our kumquat trees have been so prolific this season that I thought it was time for me to experiment and re-create my favorite soda, Orangina, from scratch. In France, Orangina is a very popular sparkling beverage made from tangerine and oranges. I've tried making this with oranges in the past, but the citrus flavors weren't strong enough to resemble the famous drink. Since kumquats have a unique, strong, lemony flavor, I gave the fruit a try.

I've made homemade soda drink in the past, using dry active yeast (I'll post the recipe this summer) but unfortunately because of the cold weather (I assume), after 3-4 days, the fizz didn't happen. So I re-made it using carbonated water. Because the process is immediate, you'll be able to enjoy a delicious soft drink right away. The soda is very flavorful and has a striking orange color -not the radioactive hue of artificial orange drinks-. If you can find kumquats at your local market, give this a try. Your taste buds will thank you!

Basil Mint Lemonade

It's already the end of the summer and I've been making every effort to get the best use out of the leftover mint and basil in my herb garden. With the basil, I've made a lot of pesto that I store in the freezer for the winter. There isn't enough left for an additional sauce, and I've always wanted to try a basil infused drink, so today I made a basil lemonade, basil limeade, to be more precise. Sweet basil can be a bit subtle, so I wanted to pair it with another herb to give the drink some kick.

Mint immediately came to mind. I've made drinks all summer using the different kinds of mint we have, including spearmint, peppermint, Vietnamese mint, and apple-mint. I still, however, have a lot of leftover chocolate mint in the garden. Lulu planted it for me a few years ago and it's been growing literally like weeds. It's not as strong as the other mint varieties, so it complements the basil in the limeade I made today without overpowering it. It may sound odd, but it's a really fun, beautiful and delicious drink.

I wish I had tooken the main picture but it is not mine. It was taken by a brilliant photographer named Ken Phuong. He's currently shooting with a team of photographers in the Bay Area.

Saffron Lemonade

This is actually saffron limeade. I got this recipe from my husband. His family has been making this drink for many years. Lemonades and limeades provide a wonderful canvas upon which other flavors can be layered.

The addition of saffron to the drink imparts a luxurious fragrance and flavor, as well as an exotic orange-yellow tint. Saffron is a spice derived from the saffron crocus. Saffron is comprised of the stigma and style (stalk) of the plant, and it's the most expensive spice in the world.

If you're looking for something special to serve at a summer lunch or barbeque, saffron limeade would be the perfect choice. Consider pairing it with Spanish paella, where saffron is also used in the preparation of the rice.

Mint and Cardamom Flavored Arnold Palmer (Lemonade with Iced Tea)

An Arnie Palmer is quite refreshing on those dog days of summer. The drink is named after the American professional golfer, Arnold Palmer. Legend has it that while golfing in his country club in Colorado, he requested that lemonade be added to his iced tea but the bartender initially refused.  After some cajoling, the bartender finally relented. And thus the Arnold Palmer was born.

I infused some fresh mint from the garden in the tea and some cardamom seeds in the lemonade. You can of course either just make a Morrocan tea or a cardamom lemonade but the combination of the two is simply divine.

This drink is dedicated to our friend Scott who is an avid golfer. Summer is on its way and I bet he's going to be back on the greens very soon. Scott: I promise that next time you stop by the house, I'll make an Arnold Palmer for you and Lulu.