Strawberry Basil Lemonade

When it comes to drinks, I'd say I'm pretty predictable.  The vast majority of what I drink is water and (good) black coffee...with a glass of wine thrown in on the side.  However, when my coworker gave me more lemons from her tree, I couldn't resist a recipe I had found for Strawberry Basil Lemonade.  Of course, I just so happened to have all the ingredients at my fingertips as well - those lemons from her garden, strawberries from our CSA box and basil from Trader Joe's.  I also used raw cane sugar by giving it a spin in the food processor to break it up into finer granules (you can also do this with regular sugar as it helps the sugar dissolve completely).

It's a wonderfully refreshing drink, especially with the temperatures already in the 80s around here!  We've been having a glass of lemonade in the evenings the last few days (spiked with a bit of rum).  Not only is it beautiful but it's also such a perfect drink for summer! Of course, tailor it to make it your own -- I used extra lemon juice because I like it a bit more tart but add more sugar for sweetness, more basil for extra flavor and of course, with or without alcohol.

Strawberry Basil Lemonade
Taken from: What's Gaby Cooking

• 10 lemons, juiced, approx 1 cup of lemon juice
• 3/4 cup super fine sugar (to make super fine sugar, put regular or raw cane sugar in food process and whirl for about 5-10 seconds to make finer granules)
• 4 cups water
• 8-10 strawberries, hulled
• 1/3 cup fresh basil
• Optional: 1/2 cup vodka or rum (we added about a shot to individual glasses so each person could decide with our without alcohol!)

1. Juice the lemons (I juiced over a fine mesh strainer to keep out pulp and seeds) and transfer the juice into a large pitcher. Add the sugar and the water and stir to combine and dissolve the sugar.
2. Add the strawberries and basil. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture for about 20 seconds just until the mixture turns pink and the basil is finely chopped (or pour into a regular blender and blend until mixture turns pink and basil is finely chopped). Add alcohol if desired (or add to individual glasses). Serve with ice and enjoy!