Hi there! Stopping in for a quick hello and a plum soda recipe during this long patriotic weekend. Lots of things to do! Wednesday morning can stay super far away from me. I have already consumed a hot dog and some potato salad, so I feel like I've fulfilled my American duty. I think this is my 4th Fourth of July in San Francisco and every single year it is cold. I'm looking outside my window right now at the fog and grey skies... while wrapped in a blanket. I wore a turtleneck to a dinner part last night. So not super Fourth of July-y over here. Reuben and I going to an Oakland A's game later today so maybe it's hot and sunny over on that side of the bay!

This weekend has been pretty low-key so far. A lot of studying (for reuben), painting (for me), ordering Thai food, seeing various friends around the city, and eating a lot of plums. I went over to our friend's parent's house in Inner Richmond to pick up my body weight in plums. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen some snippets into their gorgeous backyard. I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE. It was so freaking beautiful and full of vegetables and fruit. I would rent a closet in that house if I could. If you closed your eyes and envisioned a classic, sunny, San Francisco home this would be it. AH. We also went to dinner at another friend's gorgeous apartment last night and now I have a huge urge to dust and organize our whole apartment.

Back to the plums. I took home maybe 5+ pounds of ripe red plums. They tasted like candy. I separated them between intact plums and ones that had bursted from falling to the ground. The bursted ones have been cut up and live in plastic bags in our freezer. Sounds creepy out of context. Not that seasons really matter in San Francisco, but I like the idea of making something in the fall or winter with these sweet summer plums. If you check my browser history, you'll probably only see plum recipes. I've been researching interesting ways to showcase these plums. On my list are plum shrubs, plum sorbet, plum jam, and plum coffee cake. Oh, and this plum soda obviously! I'm in no rush to overdose on plums. They are restfully napping in the freezer until I need them. 

I'm just going to clarify that I am by no means an expert on drinks or cocktails. This is technically a soda... until you had your own kick to it. I have the alcohol tolerance of a child. I do love a fizzy and fruity drink though! I would drink this soda every day. I'll probably go make myself one once I finish writing this post. The plums were so sweet that I barely had to add any sugar to it. If your plums aren't quite super ripe yet, just add some more sugar to taste. This plum soda is bright, bubbly, slightly sweet, and tangy from the ginger and lime. If you don't like ginger, feel free to remove it, but it does add a nice layer to the drink and makes it taste a lot like ginger ale.  It would be the perfect drink to sip on during your hot Fourth of July BBQ. It was 58 degrees yesterday and I still enjoyed it! 

Plum Soda

makes 6 sodas

Materials:

1 1/2 C pitted and halved ripe plums (frozen plums work too)

1 lime

1 tbsp fresh ginger

2 tsp white sugar

sparkling water

blackberries - for garnish

basil - for garnish

Steps:

1. Combine ripe plums, the juice of 1 lime, ginger, and sugar into a blender or a vessel for an immersion blender. Mix for about 30-45 seconds until you have a consistent puree.

2. Add about 2 tbsp of the puree to a glass of ice. Pour 3/4 cup of sparking water into the glass. Mix with a long stirring spoon (or chopstick if you're unsophisticated like me).

3. Garnish with a sprig of basil and blackberries to be fancy!

* Add a splash of gin or vodka to make it a lot more exciting!