Posted by Amy Vig of www.deliciousbynature.com

Now that Memorial Day has passed, more and more of the “summer” fruits and vegetables are showing up at the Farmer’s Markets. Cherries, strawberries, and summer squash are just a few.

But perhaps one of the most “summery” fruits in my mind is the watermelon. It could be it’s sweet flavor or how great it tastes cold out of the fridge in the sweltering Southern California heat. Or it might be that all of us could use a little extra water during the summer months and this delicious fruit is made up of about 90% water.

The recipe below is based loosely off of an agua fresca that you might find in Mexican restaruants. However, this version also includes basil, which cuts some of the sweetness and adds some extra nutritional kick.

Want more recipes like this? Check out Amy’s blog at www.deliciousbynature.com

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• About 2 1/2 cups watermelon, peeled and cubed (1/4 large watermelon)
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp sugar, preferable sucanat
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 tsp basil, sliced (just a few leaves)

Directions

Prepare watermelon. Taste it – if the watermelon is particularly sweet you might want to use lesssugar, if it’s not sweet use more.

Place water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir and heat through until sugar is just combined. Let cool.

Place watermelon, water/sugar mixture, limes, and basil in a blender. Blend until well combined.

Taste for seasoning.