Simple Summer Drinks for a Crowd: Fresh Fruit Agua Frescas

I was very excited to be asked to participate in this weekend's first ever Freshworks Festival benefiting Jones Valley Urban Farm in Birmingham. Jones Valley is a teaching farm and a garden oasis in the center of downtown Birmingham. Their slogan is "Jones Valley is not just a place where delicious food grows, it is a place where young minds blossom." Their mission is to make the community a healthier place through programs centered around growing fresh fruits and vegetables.

The Freshworks Festival was a day of music, local growers, chef presentations, and food... lots of delicious food, most of it handcrafted from locally produced ingredients. I was honored to be asked to do a presentation for the inagural event and was so pleased to meet so many new friends. One of these new friends is Brittany Russell... Brittany wrote about the day on her blog The Veggie Vore. Read all about Freshworks Festival 2012...

Here's what I made for my presentation... Fresh Fruit Aqua Frescas. Agua Fresca (Spanish translation is fresh water) is fruit infused water. If you have ever been to Mexico, you probably had one. Simply put, it is fruit puree, a bit of sugar and some water. I love them for a party because they are not only delicious, they are simple to make, healthier than soda and sooo refreshing!

You can make almost any type of Aqua Fresca... even sliced cucumber in ice water is so refreshing on a hot day and you really get the flavor of the cucumber. My favorite agua frescas are strawberry, watermelon, and cantaloupe. Other favs are peach, honeydew, blackberry and pineapple.

FRESH WATERMELON AGUA FRESCA

1 small seedless watermelon

1/4 cup sugar (more or less to your taste)

a tiny pinch of kosher salt (omit if you want but it helps bring out the flavor)

Juice of 1/2 lime

4-6 cups water or to taste; this will depend on several factors... how large your melon is, how juicy it is, and how strong you want the resulting drink to be. I like a strong fruit flavor so I use less water, others prefer a hint of juice so use more water.

Cube and seed the watermelon and place in a food processor or blender... or you can use an immersion blender like I do. Add 1 cup of water.

Puree the fruit completely until it is thinned out. Strain the juice with a fine mesh strainer (or you can use cheesecloth) to remove the pulp. Add the sugar and remaining water. Serve over ice with fruit wedges or mint as a garnish.

OPTIONS

Use Infused Simple Syrup

I love to use my favorite infused simply syrups to make agua frescas. I use the mint simple syrup with canteloupe or watermelon. I use basil with strawberry. I use vanilla with pineapple. Get the recipe...

Make it Fizzy

When it is hot outside, a fizzy or sparkling drink just seems to make you cooler... I'm not sure why. I often use club soda instead of tap water for agua frescas... especially if I am going to add alcohol to them.

Add a Kick

If you want to serve Agua Frescas as a cocktail, you can! Reduce the amount of water by half and add Prosecco or Champagne... you will have a Bellini or Mimosa sort of result.

You can also add vodka or tequila to kick these into a true cocktail. Add your alcohol of choice before you add the water. Top with club soda.

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My Favorite Beer Cocktail plus Easy Toss Away Cooler Idea for Game Day

When I want to keep it light... for a long day at the game, beach or pool, for example, I often drink a beer on ice to keep it really cold and to slow down the pace. I will often take it a step further and turn my beer into a cocktail. Simply salt the rim of your glass, like you would for a margarita. Add ice. Squeeze in a bunch of lime wedges... about 5. Pour in your beer. Add a little dash of hot sauce if you like but I usually don't. Or you can add a shot of tequila...:)

Now, here's a simple and easy idea if you don't want to take a cooler to the game. Just tear off the top, remove the beer. Add a garbage bag (I always use two so it does not leak) return the beer and add ice. Afterwards, just toss in the trash.  

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First Week of May Fun! Cinco de Mayo, Kentucky Derby, and Mother's Day!

Wow- this is a busy, busy week, even for an experienced party-thrower like me! Since I'm on the road most of the week and will be pitching in to help with food and cleanup around Alabama for the remainder of the week, I wanted to give you a cheat sheet of ideas and recipes for everything you might need for Cinco de Mayo, Derby Day, and Mother's Day festivities:

Martie's Pink PonyCINCO DE MAYO IDEAS AND RECIPES

Check out my ideas for a frugal but fabulous Cinco de Mayo fiesta!

Tequila Lime Tuna

Slow Roasted Chipotle Pork

Pineapple Tomato Salsa

DIY Taco Bar

Classic Margarita Recipe

Pomegranate Margarita Recipe

Mocha Margaritas

Pink Pony Margarita

 KENTUCKY DERBY, SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2011

Martie's Perfect Mint JulepHey, why not ask a few friends over Saturday to watch the Derby? All you need is a big hat, red roses, some snacks and my recipe for the Perfect Mint Julep.

Kentucky Derby Ideas

Martie's Perfect Mint Julep

MOTHER'S DAY, SUNDAY MAY 8, 2011

Make Over Mom's Garden this Mother's Day:)Show mom a lot of love this Sunday with these easy recipes and ideas for family style fun.

 Easy and Fun Ideas for Mother's Day

 Mothers Day Breakfast in Bed

 Mother's Day Afternoon Tea Party 

 Make Over Mom's Garden or Patio!

Mom and Me Afternoon Tea Slideshow

Happy Mother's Day to all and especially to my own sweet mom who I miss every day.

Follow Martie on Facebook for more recipes, party ideas, and fun!

Martie's Mocha Margarita

My Mocha Margarita is so good, you may not be able to stop at one... and with so many variations, you'll love this for any special occasion, too. Especially Valentine's Day... shake one up for your sweetie. She'll love it!

Martie's Mocha Margarita

Serves two.

3 ounces Espresso (you can use instant)

2 ounces blanco (white) tequila, I like Casa Noble Crystal for this cocktail.

5 ounces good quality chocolate ice cream- slightly melted so it will pour.

Combine ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker and shake until well chilled and ice cream is smooth and pourable. Serve in a chilled martini or margarita glass.

Now, the variations on this drink is what makes it really interesting. Try it with a shot of Grand Marnier (orange), Frangelico (hazlenut), or Chambord (raspberry) liqueur. Muddle in your favorite fruit if you want or use it as a garnish. My favorite was mint... so delicious. Muddle 5-6 fresh mint leaves with a little ice in the cocktail shaker first. You can add a shot of creme de menthe but it's not necessary. Then add the remaining ingredients, shake well and strain into chilled martini glasses.

You can get creative with the rims, too! Use chocolate sauce or any other combo that suits your drink.

Need more cocktail recipes? Try one of these:

Chambord Champagne Cocktail

French Martini

Pomegranate Cranberry Kiss

DIY Taco Bar: Tequila Lime Tuna with Pineapple Tomato Salsa Recipes

When building a taco bar, it is important to carefully consider the flavor of everything you offer;  the flavors need to work well together. My Tequila Lime Tuna and Pineapple Tomato Salsa work well with Slow Roasted Chiptle Pork because the flavor profile is similar: the tuna and salsa have a little kick from jalapeno peppers... and chipotles, used in the rub for the pork, are smoked jalapeno peppers... so these recipes work really well together! Add corn and flour tortillas and typical taco condiments: pico de gallo, peppers, cheeses, diced tomatoes, black beans, etc. Your guests will love this easy to make, easy to serve menu and you can have fun at your own party!

TEQUILA LIME TUNA

Four ½ steaks will make approximately 20 tacos….

1/2 cup tequila* Use a white or blanco tequila- I like Casa Noble!

1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (5 to 6 limes)

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeno pepper (1 pepper seeded)

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (3 cloves)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4- 1” thick tuna steaks… any tuna steaks will work as will Mahi, Mahi, Salmon, or any other dense fish that will flake nicely when grilled.

 Combine the tequila, lime juice, orange juice, chili powder, jalapeno pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the tuna. Refrigerate up to 2 hours.

Heat a grill pan and brush with oil to prevent the sticking. Remove the tuna from the marinade, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and grill for about 4 minutes and turn. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, until just cooked through. The tuna should be cooked until slightly pink in the center. It’s best to have it cooked medium, not too rare since you want the tuna to flake easily. Remove from the grill and let set for 5 minutes. Use tongs to shred the tuna for the tacos.

PINEAPPLE TOMATO SALSA

Makes 1 Quart

3 cups fresh pineapple, diced very small

1 large ripe red tomato, seeded and diced very small                       

1 Tbsp. fresh minced garlic

3 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro                                                                                   

¼ cup lime juice                                                                                                         

½ cup red onion, diced very small                                                                 

3 Tbsp. olive oil                                                                                              

Salt to taste

1 Tbsp. jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced very small

Combine all ingredients. Taste and add more jalapeno pepper if you like a spicy hot salsa. This has medium heat. Perfect condiment with fish, pork, and chicken.

Let come to room temperature before serving time.

GET THE RECIPE FOR OUR SLOW ROASTED CHIPOTLE PORK

CLASSIC AND POMEGRANATE MARGARITAS