Melons and Memories: Watermelon Lemonade
Greetings, friends and neighbors! Hoping everyone`s summer has been filled with sunshine, fun and fellowship.
August is gearing up to be August. As a born and raised Southerner, August is the month I dread the most. The summer heat and humidity are kicked in full-tilt boogie, the homegrown tomatoes are winding down, the flip flops have flipped their last flop.
A strange shift in the universe takes place in and over Water Valley as the last bottle rocket is fired and the rocket's red glare slowly fades into the lingering smoke left behind from July`s celebration of Independence.
Here in Water Valley Mississippi, thoughts go from red, white, and blue to green and red.
The decorations are brought down from dust covered boxes in the attic corner, the blinking and twinkling lights are untangled and checked, flags of a different variety are unfurled, giant lawn ornaments are staked, and wooden door hangings are hung from every front door in town.
If you thought I was shouting out Christmas in July, well, folks, you would be wrong.
My adoration and reverence are directed towards a celebration of community - The Watermelon Carnival.
The Watermelon Carnival is one of the many ways we show love and pride for our community and town.
Residents of our tiny Southern town welcome visitors from across the state to enjoy all things watermelon.
Y`all let me just go ahead and tell you that none of us come to play when it is Carnival time. This is one of those “get right or get left” moments. You best believe that all the grandmas are going to have the husbands, the sons, and all the whippersnapper young folks out mowing, trimming, raking, and sweeping.
Not a blade of grass will be out of place come carnival weekend. We show up and show out as a community because when company comes you put on your Sunday best and bring out the good silver.
The week of the Watermelon Carnival is, hands-down, my busiest week as a business owner. The BTC will be jumping every moment of every day. In my restaurant The Dixie Belle Café, we will showcase watermelon all week long.
As a chef, it is one of my favorite weeks of the year because it not only allows me to think out of the box but forces me to use all my experience, skills, and imagination to create beautiful food focused on watermelon.
If you follow me as a chef, then one of the things you associate with me is that I personally use food to speak to you on a different level. The Southern child who hung on my grandmother's apron strings and watched her cook is the core of who I am as a chef. My own memories are triggered each day I walk into my kitchen to cook, and I want to trigger those same memories with you, the customer.
Memories, smells, and tastes of our Southern childhoods and days past where we sat together at a makeshift table adorned with fried chicken, peas, tomatoes, cornbread, and watermelon. A table where stories were shared and love was given and received as we shared a meal in the summer heat.
One of the things always on my family's Southern table was lemonade. This Southern summer elixir is also one of the things I serve every year in my cafe for the watermelon carnival.
Watermelon lemonade, of course.
Nothing beats the heat like an ice-cold pitcher of lemonade. And nothing screams “Southern” like lemonade; we do it, and we do it well.
The Watermelon Carnival is the Water Valley community inviting you to come sit at our grandmother's table. All things watermelon will be served as an August breeze slices through the summer heat.
We will tell you the stories as we watch our local farmers bring in giant watermelons hoping to break the state record, and we will share in the memories of people and carnivals past as we create new memories together.
Here is my recipe for Dixie Belle Watermelon Lemonade. Southerners like lemonade super sweet and super tart. Feel free to adjust the recipe to the way you enjoy lemonade.
And Happy Watermelon Carnival 2021! If you are around this weekend, come enjoy the fun!
Dixie Belle’s Watermelon Lemonade
2 1/2 cups sugar (feel free to adjust to your personal taste)
8 cups water
4 1/2 cups red watermelon, cubed
12 large lemons, juiced (roughly 1-1½ cups)
Directions
Make a simple syrup. In a small pot, add water and sugar, turn heat on low, and cook until sugar is dissolved. Once sugar is completely dissolved, turn off heat and set to the side.
While the water sugar mixture is cooking, puree fresh watermelon in a blender. Do not overcrowd. Small batches work best, and sometimes it is necessary to add a touch of water, depending on your blender.
After the melon is pureed, you will want to skim off the foamy top with a ladle. In a serving pitcher of choice, mix pureed watermelon, lemon juice, and simple syrup. I like to float thin slices of fresh lemon and fresh mint as a garnish. Serve over ice.