Watermelon lemon basil slush(tini)

Summer is here and so are the fresh greens and summer fruits. What better way to beat the heat and enjoy the sun than to make juices, mock tails and cocktails with the fresh produce. Fresh basil were being sold at the local farmers market for a dollar a bunch and it will be pure sin to let go of it..lol

So, had been buying them and trying out on pasta and soup and realized they r good with drinks too. Found this amazingly simple slush recipe with lemon and basil and to give it a kick I cranked it up with a bit of vodka and made it a cocktail in the end.

Adding the alcohol is purely optional. The slush is super yumm without the spirit too.

Ingredients

4 cups chopped watermelon cubes

1/2 cup roughly chopped basil

1/4cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 lemon or 1tbsp of lemon juice

120ml or lesser vodka(optional)

Prep time: 3 hrs           Slush time: 5 mins

Preparation:

- chop the watermelon into cubes and freeze them on a plate for 2-3 hrs minimum

- in a saucepan combine the sugar and water and boil until the sugar dissolves.

- switch off heat and add the roughly chopped basil into the sugar syrup and let it cool down for an hour

- when the melons are frozen, add half of them into a blender along with required sugar syrup( as per sweet liking), lemon juice and pulse.

- now blend in the remaining melons and pulse a little

- serve them in glasses with a sprig of basil on top

- if you prefer to make it a cocktail, add vodka along with the lemon and sugar syrup in the blender and there is your watermelon slushtini;-)

- if adding vodka, you might need more sugar syrup