It goes without saying that I'm very excited an honored to be guest-writing on Accidental Hedonist. Over at SassyRadish, I was a longtime fan of Kate's writing and her ability to direct our attention to some pertinent food industry issues! So I am grateful and excited to kick off this summer season!

Perhaps it is the first post that is the most important one – you know to set the tone, to establish an idea of the writer. I thought about what I wanted my first post to be about: food industry, an expose of sorts, something pensive. And then it dawned on me – it’s summer, people are thinking of barbecues, picnics, strawberry shortcake – pensive it not in this season. Festive – perhaps, but let’s leave the pensive for those fall months when the leaves begin to change and when the crisp chill is in the air.

While this is perhaps a first summer I am really enjoying since my college days, I have always welcomed summer food. Fresh, in-season fruit and berries, straight off the farm vegetables, and my personal favorite – watermelon.

Oh the things you can do with watermelon! There is of course the conventional way – just slicing it up chilled and taking big, hungry bites out of it. I, personally, consume quite a bit of my watermelon this way during the summer. There’s also a fruit salad way – which is quite tasty.

There’s the watermelon sorbetto, I’m looking forward to trying from David’s new book. I plan on making mine with Asian basil. I have been dreaming about it, in fact. So it’s a-comin’, kids.

But nothing gets my summer watermelon kick going like watermelon martini. My boyfriend made them for me last summer for a picnic we were going to have, but it happened to rain that day, so the resourceful boy that he is, we had the picnic in his car. And were they good! Eversince then, I’ve been on a watermelon kick eversince! And so I’d like to kick off your summer by sharing the recipe here with you.

We make ours a bit differently - most people put melon liqueur in it, but we like to keep things simple. Enjoy!!

1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz citrus vodka
1 1/2 oz fresh watermelon juice
1 cucumber slice for garnish