Blackberry Limeade (porch swing not included)

I am frequently asked how I came to live in Georgia and whether I have grown accustomed to living in the South.  Truth be told, it wasn't much of an adjustment moving to the land of collard greens and fried chicken.  The South is often characterized by its people (warm and friendly...Atlanta drivers might want to take a refresher course), its weather (sunny and hot hot hot), and its food (good home cookin', usually a little on the heavy side, but nevertheless a key ingredient of the hospitality for which Southerners are known).

Aside from the weather, my small hometown in New Hampshire was not much different.  It, too, was filled with very friendly people, who were just as soon to smile when you pass them on the sidewalk.  

I once chatted with a professor at a small college in New England who was writing an article on what he termed "small town civility."  Although friendliness or good manners, or whatever you want to call it, can exist anywhere, the dynamics of living in a small town forces residents to exhibit more neighborly behavior than people living in larger, more urban environments.  For example, here in Atlanta, I can go to the same grocery store a dozen times and never run into anyone I know.  The anonymity that comes from living in an urban environment gives city folk the freedom to act however they like in public because they probably won't see the people in any particular place again.  But the professor theorized that in a small town, you have to be civil with everyone who crosses your path.  You can't chew someone out for cutting you off in traffic or ignore them at the post office because she's your banker or he's the only plumber in town.  You're probably going to need their help at one point or another.

But I digress.  I venture that, no matter whether you're a city girl or country boy, you can appreciate a porch swing or an adirondack chair and a tall glass filled with something cool and refreshing.  If you've been meaning to dust the pollen off your adirondack chair, or want to take a 10 minute mental vacation to pretend you have a house with a porch and a swing, I suggest you whip up some of this:

BLACKBERRY LIMEADE: AMETHYST ELIXER
Adapted from a recipe by Martha Hall Foose, found in Screen Doors and Sweet Tea

4 cups fresh blackberries, or unsweetened frozen blackberries, thawed
1 cup sugar
The peal from half of a lime
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (roughly 8 limes)
2 cups of club soda, or tonic water

Place the berries in a food processor and pulse until the berries have emitted their dark juice.  Be careful not to pulverize the seeds, for they are not invited to be in the drink, and it's easier to keep them out when they're somewhat whole.  Using the back of a plastic spoon, press the juice and what remains of the berries through a fine mesh sieve to separate the juice from the seeds.  Mix the blackberry juice with the lime juice.

Next, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and lime zest.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes to form a simple syrup.  Remove the peel, and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.  Slowly add 3/4 of the syrup to the blackberry/lime juice and taste, and then add the remainder of the mixture to your taste.  Keep in mind that the mixture will be diluted by the club soda.

Fill a tall glass with ice.  Fill 1/3 of the way with the blackberry limeade and the rest of the way with club soda or tonic water (some gin might also be a great addition to the party).  Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Comments

[Kay]

YAY for Blackberry Limeade. I'll get right on that porch swing thing...or adirondack chair.
The fries are still the best post, not that I'm biased.