Simple Nada Sangria

“I don’t think I’ll ever grow old and say, “What was I thinking eating all those fruits and vegetables?” Nancy S. Mure, natural health advocate

Summer fruit and veggies nearly did us in again. As they do every year. There seems to be a week when everything is suddenly ripe and good all at the same time — and we go a little crazy.

This time, it was a combination of seedless watermelon, peaches, cucumbers, zucchini and on and on. Our cart was over full. Our kitchen was over full. Our bellies were over full. No matter how good it is, there’s only so much produce even a fairly large household can consume when the freshness clock is ticking.

Our oldest daughter had a great idea, however, that saved a rather large seedless watermelon we couldn’t get through fast enough — nada sangria, an alcohol-free version of the classic summer drink. Mocktails are nothing new. What was different was the simplicity of her recipe. No sticky syrups. No mint leaves. No fancy fruit blends. Nothing but watermelon and a small amount of orange juice concentrate to give it a little tang.

It was like drinking a day at the beach. If you’ve been blessed with a sudden overabundance, give it a try.

Simple Nada Sangria

Using a juicer or blender, puree small chunks of seedless watermelon and frozen orange juice concentrate in batches. We used about 1/4 can of OJ for half a watermelon. If you’re using a blender, you may need to start at “chop” or turn the blender off a few times to readjust the contents for easier blending.

That’s it! Sit on the porch and enjoy. And, if there’s anything left, freeze it in molds or ice cube trays for later.