[ Easter Brunch pt. 2. ] Agua Fresca from Over Easy

At this point (many Easters ago) my siblings and I would have begged my mother to her breaking point and gone into full egg-stuffing mode.  

We used to have quite the grandiose egg hunts on my family's humble two acres, and once the eggs were pulled out of the barn loft and the candy bought, we would not stop pestering my mother for the task of stuffing them.  We would take solemn vows against eating the candy while stuffing, but our thrill in the job was by no means dimmed.  My sister and I grabbed our favorite colors - hers purple and mine chartreuse - leaving the unwanted eggs for our compliant younger brother.  

I took pride in matching the candy to the eggs and we would excitedly make "bonus eggs" that contained just shy of the number of jelly beans that would keep the egg from closing. 

Easter was always joyous, but not because of the new dresses, or the thrilling hunts, or my grandmother's succulent, glazed hams, but because our parents never let us forget that those traditions were just that - traditions, and we were going to church that morning to celebrate something far greater. 

Earlier this week, I shared the recipe for this quiche and suggested it as a possible Easter morning option.

Today, on this very fine Wednesday, I am giving you the perfect spring drink to serve alongside it! 

This recipe also comes from Over Easy.  One of my favorite parts of Joy's newest book is the beverage section.  I love all of the fun and inventive beverage options she gives, and I especially appreciate the pairing suggestions.  She does our thinking for us. 

Up until last week, I had never made any form of agua fresca before, but when I saw the ridiculously simple ingredient list, I decided I had no excuse. 

So, what is agua fresca?  Well it is a little more than its translation would suggest.  I mean, that would be a little boring. 

Agua frescas are water-based, non-alcoholic drinks that have been flavored with fruits and/or herbs and sweetened lightly. 

I have a very strong sense that you will be seeing quite a few of them this year so you may want to find your blender.  Now that I know the simplicity there is nothing stopping me from spiking every glass of water with some herbaceous fusion. 

This particular recipe called for cucumbers, pineapple, and mint.  I added a dose of fresh lime for a bit more acidity. 

I have recently realized that I prefer drinking cucumbers over eating them.  Their flavor is so refreshing. 

Let's pause to acknowledge the world's most adorable paper straws.  The pom-pom tails make my heart skip a beat.  I'm squealing as I type this. 

This lovely spring tonic can be made the night before you plan to serve it and refrigerated.  The flavors will actually improve and meld as it sits. 

Simple, fruity, and perfectly refreshing.  This is the ideal pairing for your hearty breakfast quiche, and a great way to pave the way for all those cadbury eggs.  

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Cucumber Pineapple Agua Fresca

serves 8 / recipe from Over Easy (slightly adapted)

- 3 cups fresh pineapple cubes

- 1/2 english cucumber, sliced

- 10 fresh mint leaves 

- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

- 1/2 cup granulated sugar

- 5 cups filtered water 

In the base of your blender combine pineapple, cucumber, mint, lime, sugar, and 2 cups of the water.  Blend on high until very smooth.  The mixture will be quite thick.  

Transfer to a large pitcher and stir in the remaining water.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  This will give the flavors a chance to bloom and meld. 

Give the agua fresca a good stir before dispensing.  Serve over ice with cute straws and maybe a sprig of mint if you're feeling it.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Grapefruit Spritzers

It's officially spring!  Cue the sandals, pretty drinks, and paper straws.

I know we still have a couple of weeks until Easter, but it's not too early to start working on the menu.

May I suggest including an irresistibly pink spritzer? 

This is one of those drinks that feels luxurious while still being really refreshing.  The grapefruit is bright and tangy and the strawberries are bold and sweet.  

It's also really pretty, and I love it when a drink looks as good as it tastes.

We are making two components for this drink - a sweet, tangy grapefruit simple syrup, and something called a coulis.

A coulis is just a fruit-based sauce that has not been cooked.  It is as simple as a couple handfuls of berries, a squeeze of lemon, and a bit of confectioner’s sugar for a little extra sweetness. Blend it up and then run it through a fine mesh strainer.  

It is so quick and simple, and makes a wonderful drink base or morning yogurt topping.  

Mr. Pedantic loves this sauce because it is full of strawberry flavor but is free of the seeds he hates so much.  

Grapefruit syrup is whipped up in minutes by bringing equal parts water and sugar to a boil with a couple of grapefruit peels.  It is amazing how much the grapefruit permeates the syrup in such a short time.  

Like so many of my favorite drink recipes, most of the components for this drink can be prepped ahead of time. The sauce and syrup can be made up to a week in advance and refrigerated until you are ready to assemble the drinks!  Meaning that you could start working on your weekend refreshment options right now. 

The grapefruit syrup is mixed with fresh grapefruit juice and a bit of bubbly - also known as sparkling water. 

The bright pink coulis is drizzled in the bottom of each glass and topped with plenty of ice before our grapefruit-ade is added.   

The combination of tangy grapefruit and sweet strawberries strikes a perfect balance.  

This is what spring tastes like.    

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Strawberry Grapefruit Spritzer

serves 4

for the coulis

2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar 

1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Place strawberries, confectioner’s sugar, and lemon juice in the work bowl of your food processor or blender and pulse until completely smooth.  

Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer and refrigerate until ready to use.  

Coulis will last refrigerated for up to a week. 

for the grapefruit syrup

3/4 cup granulated sugar 

3/4 cup water 

2 3-inch peels grapefruit zest* 

In a small saucepan, combine granulated sugar, water, and grapefruit zest.  Place over medium heat and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.  Bring the syrup to a boil, then remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.  Strain to remove grapefruit peels.  

Syrup will last refrigerated for up to a week. 

*Use a vegetable peeler to carefully remove strips of grapefruit zest, being watchful to avoid peeling away the white pith, as this will make your syrup bitter. 

assembly

1 cup fresh grapefruit juice

1 cup sparkling water 

fresh strawberries, for garnish (optional) 

In a 1-liter pitcher, combine grapefruit juice and cooled grapefruit syrup; stir to combine.  Top with sparkling water and stir gently.  

Cook's Note: While the grapefruit juice and syrup can be mixed in advance and refrigerated, do not add the sparkling water until just before you are ready to serve the drinks. 

Place three tablespoons of coulis in the bottom of each glass and top with plenty of ice.  Fill to the top with grapefruit-ade (about 1/2 cup).  Serve each drink with a straw or spoon for stirring and garnish with a fresh strawberry.