Ice cold watermelons, juicy peaches, and sweet blueberries – that’s what you’ll find in our coolers this summer! If you want to take refreshment to the next level, use a tip from Mother Nature and add fresh herbs to the mix. Many of the fragrant herbs we love serve more than one purpose – In addition to being indulgent and delicious, they’re also naturally cooling! Just think of a time you chomped on a fresh mint leaf (mint julip, maybe?), your breath feels icy cool after that. Mint isn’t the only cooling herb we can keep on hand to add a bit of refreshment to hot days. Basil, Lemonbalm, Cilantro, Dill, and Lavender can all provide some relief from the summer heat. There are many more options to explore, but these are easy to find here in North Texas and in The Shed!
But hold on – we know what you’re thinking! “Am I really going to eat plain basil to cool off?” Most of us aren’t signing up for that one. Try adding fresh cooling herbs to the summer favorites you’re already enjoying. Peak summer produce doesn’t last forever, so it’s the perfect time to fill up your reusable cups with a minty aqua fresca, head to the farmers market, and stock up on fresh summer produce!
Try out our Top 5 Beat the Heat Treats this summer –
Watermelon + Mint Agua Fresca
Ingredients
  • 2 cups fresh watermelon, cubed
  • 1 spring fresh mint
  • ½ Lime
Instructions
  1. Blend watermelon and fresh mint leaves until smooth.
  2. Strain the mixture through a mesh sieve, using a wooden spoon to press the juice out.
  3. Pour over ice into a serving class, squeeze ½ lime and mix.
  4. If desired garnish with a fresh mint leaf and enjoy!
Peach + Basil Popsicles 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup basil simple syrup
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup cane sugar
  • 6 fresh basil leaves
  • 4 fresh peaches (ideally freestone) – peeled, pit removed, and quartered
Instructions
  1. Bring water to a boil in a small pot over high heat, add sugar and reduce to a simmer.
  2. Stir sugar until fully dissolved.
  3. Add basil leaves and continue to simmer for 2 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and let the simple syrup cool to room temperature.
  5. Strain out the basil leaves.
  6. Blend basil simple syrup and fresh peaches.
  7. Pour mixture into a popsicle mold and allow to freeze overnight.
  8. Enjoy on a hot day!

 

Cool Cucumber Caprese 
Ingredients
  • 1 medium tomato – sliced
  • ½ medium cucumber – sliced into rounds
  • 4 oz mozzarella – sliced into rounds
  • 6 – 8 fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tbsp fresh olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
  1. Layer in repeating order: tomato, cucumber, mozzarella, basil
  2. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Serve cold and enjoy!
Blueberry + Lemon Balm Lemonade
Ingredients
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • ½ cup lemonbalm – chopped
  • ½ to 1 cup of sugar (depending on preference)
  • 8 cups of water
  • 6 meyer lemons
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to muddle together the blueberries, lemonbalm, and sugar.
  2. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot over high heat.
  3. Add the sugar mixture to the water and remove from heat. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
  4. If desired, strain the mixture to remove blueberry skins and lemonbalm (or leave them if you don’t mind a little extra fiber!)
  5. Use a citrus press to juice the lemons, then add up to 1 cup lemon juice to the mixture. For less acidity, use ¾ cup of lemon juice.
  6. Chill for at least 1 hour and serve over ice.
Herbaceous Summer Rolls
Summer Rolls can be made using any fresh seasonal produce and a few additional essentials!
Ingredients
  • Fresh summer produce like sweet peppers, cucumbers, cantaloupe, zucchini, carrots, radishes, cabbage (anything you can eat without cooking!)
  • Fresh Herbs (Mint, Basil, Cilantro.. Follow your heart ❤️)
  • Rice Paper Wrappers
  • Vermicelli Noodles
Optional Peanut Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
  • 1/3 Cup of Honey Peanut Butter
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • ½ tbsp fresh grated ginger
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
Instructions
Dipping Sauce
  • Whisk together ingredients, adding a tbsp of water if needed to loosen for an easier dipping consistancy.
Summer Rolls
  1. Prep vegetables and fruit into thin sticks that will fit easily into a summer roll.
  2. Separate fresh herb leaves from the stems, which are less pleasant to eat raw.
  3. Follow package instructions to prep rice paper wrapper and vermicelli noodles.
  4. Lay moistened rice paper wrapper on a flat surface to fill summer rolls.
  5. On the center of the roll, lay out about 1oz – 2oz of prepared vermicelli noodles.
  6. Top noodles with combination of desired produce and herbs. You can try red pepper, cucumber, carrot, and red cabbage with cilantro to get you started!
  7. Be careful not to overfill the wrapper. The ingredients shouldn’t take up more than 1/3 of the space on the wrapper surface.
  8. Fold the short edges of the wrapper to hold the ingredients in place.
  9. Take side closed to you, and lay it over the ingredients at the center and gently tuck the side.
  10. Roll the summer roll away from you toward the unclosed edge to seal the seam.
  11. Serve cold and enjoy!