I’m almost embarrassed to put this down as a recipe, but as usual, not embarrassed enough 😉
I’d never heard of Pimms before our daughter took herself off to college in England. We went over to collect her at the end of her first year and when we went for a drink in a hotel near the river, she suggested ‘Dressed Pimms’ as a suitable summery drink for us. It occurred to me that she was studying more than English Literature, but I suppose some would call it a ‘well-rounded education’!
Anyway, it came in a big jug, with fresh strawberries and cucumber floating in it, and I’ve been a fan ever since.
EQUIPMENT:
- A large jug
- A wooden spoon (or similar) to stir it all together
INGREDIENTS:
- Pimm’s liqueur
- White lemonade
- Fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in half
- Fresh cucumber, washed, cut in half long-ways, seeds removed and sliced into crescents
- Slices of orange, cut in half
- Fresh mint if you have it
- Loads of ice
METHOD:
- The bottle of Pimm’s tells you most explicitly that it’s 1 portion of Pimm’s to 3 portions of lemonade (it’s 25% proof), so I’m going to leave the exact quantities to you.. Say, I cup/mug of Pimm’s and 3 cups/mugs of lemonade – works for me 😉
- Half-fill your jug with ice
- Using the ratio 1:3, pour in the Pimm’s followed by the lemonade
- Add the prepared strawberries and cucumber, and the mint and orange slices if you’re using them
- Use your wooden spoon to stir to combine
- Leave for a few minutes to settle and for the flavours to combine
- Serve in a long glass, preferably in warm corner of the garden
NOTES:
- Of course you can use diet/sugar-free lemonade if you want to.
- I think that Sainsbury’s (and hence probably Tesco as well) do an ‘own brand’ of Pimm’s, and I’m sure it’s absolutely fine.
- The list of fruit and veg above it merely a suggestion – feel free to add and subtract as you see fit.
I started writing down recipes in an old copybook when I was about 16. With 6 children at home, my Mother was always glad of a hand in the kitchen, and really allowed us to experiment - as long as we washed up afterwards, and left the kitchen immaculate! Having a tidy kitchen has followed me through my life, as has the habit of writing down my favourite recipes; except that these days I write them for my website, and add photographs when I can. The website really started when it occurred to me that my daughter might like to have these recipes when I've forgotten them. In my early days of cooking for family and friends, I used to phone my Mum all the time to ask her for the recipe for some of our favourite family dinners. She rarely had a recipe to hand - I think, like me, she made a lot of it up as she went along.. So welcome to Eating for Ireland - these are the recipes that my friends and family having been eating these past 40 years.. yes, I truly am ancient! They are tried and tested, and have worked for me for all that time - I have updated them as new ingredients became available - I really hope you'll find something that you can make into a family favourite of your own. You don't have to tell anyone where you found these great new dishes that you're serving up - it can be our little secret, but I'd really love it if you could give me a sneaky 'follow' on Facebook and Instagram.. So off you go - have a good rummage around, you're bound to find something new! My sincere thanks to all of you who have found a recipe that you liked and dropped me a line to tell me - I really do love to hear from you! Happy Cooking! Becks xx