Hello from the Shakespeare in the Park cancellation line in Central Park, where I am one of two hundred or so people hoping to keep the late summer gloom away with free world class theatre. I just got home from Maine a few days ago and am, in fact, wearing a dress last washed in a lobster pot in the backyard of our cottage and hung to dry on a line. Excuse me for waxing poetic, but if you’ve ever spent any time in Maine, you know these doldrums. Hell, if you’ve ever taken a vacation, you know.
So what does this have to do with Blueberry Ginger Ales? Not a lot, I suppose. I started fooling around with this recipe mid-July in anticipation of our trip to Maine, but didn’t post it beforehand and now Maine has come and gone (though watch out for a mid-autumn sequel). I just wanted to make sure that you knew that you could make these seasonal homemade sodas before summer unofficially ends.
As with many of the homemade beverages you’ll find on this site, this recipe takes only a few minutes of active work—in this case, making a syrup and straining it—but makes plenty to enjoy. Simply pour some syrup over ice, top with seltzer, stir, and sip.
With a balanced berry flavor and a good spicy punch of ginger, Blueberry Ginger Ales would be a perfect booze-free addition to any menu. From end-of-summer festivities to lazy weekend afternoons, you really can’t go wrong. I mean, I could certainly go for one in this cancellation line.
Or at least I could have, because I ended up getting a ticket. Doldrums be gone.
Blueberry Ginger Ales
makes 8-12 small sodas
Blueberry Ginger Syrup:
1 5-7 inch piece fresh ginger (about 1/3 lb)
16 ounces (about 3 cups) fresh or frozen blueberries
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
For Blueberry Ginger Ales:
1 batch blueberry ginger syrup
2 large bottles sparkling water
For Serving:
ice
fresh blueberries (optional)
straws (optional)
On a cutting board, scrape the edge of a spoon across the ginger to peel. Discard peelings. Slice ginger as thinly as possible—you should have about 1 cup slices.
Combine ginger, blueberries, sugar, salt, and water in a small pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-low and then let cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. It’s done when the berries have burst, sugar has dissolved, and the syrup coats the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat, mash berries a bit if needed (we want them all burst), and stir in lemon juice. Cool the syrup without straining. Once cool, strain ginger and blueberries out, pressing them to remove as much syrup as possible. Discard ginger and blueberries. You should have 1 1/2-2 cups syrup.
To make Blueberry Ginger Ales, add ice to your glasses. Pour about 3-4 tablespoons of syrup into each glass. Top with sparkling water, then stir to combine. Taste and adjust with more syrup or sparkling water as desired. Add a few blueberries for garnish, if desired. Pair with a cute straw and enjoy!
Leftover syrup will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least a week.
Is there any food that celebrates summer quite like a s’more? I don’t think so. I mean, it’s pretty difficult to argue with the near-perfect combination of graham cracker, melty toasted marshmallow, and chocolate on a searing hot day…
…but I’m going to anyway because of course I am. I like to occasionally dabble in the contrarian arts, and nothing on this blog screams “I do what I want!” louder than today’s Lemon Meringue S’mores!
Yes, Lemon Meringue S’mores. As in, 
You see, the lemon curd I use for Lemon Meringue S’mores isn’t just any lemon curd, y’all. It’s Lazy Lemon Curd. I mean, you’ll be hard-presses to find a 
This is an easy three-ingredient, two-step recipe. Whisk together some fresh lemon juice, two egg yolks and a can of sweetened condensed milk. Heat that mixture over a double boiler, stirring if/when you think about it, until it thickens slightly, which takes fifteen minutes. That’s literally it.
If this recipe looks familiar, that’s because it is. Lazy Lemon Curd is just a sunny lemon spin on the filling for my 
Once your Lazy Lemon Curd has cooled a bit, make yourself some s’mores! Slather a little of the curd on a graham cracker, top it with a toasted marshmallow and sandwich it all with another graham cracker. And then repeat that process because you’re going to want two of these toasty, gooey, lemony treats. And because this stuff keeps well in the fridge, you can make Lemon Meringue S’mores all summer long. That’s something worth celebrating.
e2 bakes brooklyn 