Strawberry Margaritas

Are you looking for a refreshing summertime cocktail? Now that many of us have packed away fresh local strawberries into the freezer, we should consider that they won't all go to pies and jams.

This strawberry margarita has a full berry taste but it also has a bit of zip from the freshly squeezed limes. Happily, not a very sweet drink, considering the hint of sugar on the rim and the simple syrup in the lime mix. The sweetness is mostly from nature. Your beautiful, freshly preserved local strawberries.


Strawberry Margaritas
Inspired by Mo'Nique and Martha Stewart

Serves 2 to 3, depending on glass size

3 Tablespoons Tequila
1 Tablespoon Triple Sec
1 cup frozen strawberries, partially thawed
1 cup ice cubes
2 Tablespoons Strawberry Sauce, or jam
5 Tablespoons Lime Mix

Garnish:
Lime
Sugar
Fresh strawberries

To prepare Simple Syrup: Combine equal portions of sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Gently simmer for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Cool. Store in a sealed sterilized glass jar in the fridge for few weeks. Simple syrup is great for using as a drink sweetener.

To prepare Lime Mix: Freshly squeeze limes. Remove seeds and keep pulp. To every 3 parts lime juice, add 2 parts simple syrup and mix.

To make Strawberry Margaritas: Run a fresh lime around the edge of the margarita glass. Dip the rim into a plate of sugar. Combine tequila, Triple Sec, partially thawed strawberries, ice, strawberry sauce and lime mix into the VitaMix (or a blender strong enough to make frozen drinks). Blend until the ice and strawberries are crushed. Pour or spoon into sugar rimmed glasses and garnish the edge with a fresh strawberry.