Ginger Limeade

You’ll never buy lemonade again after making this kicky lime-and-ginger drink. Juicing and freezing the ginger in individual, portion-controlled cubes makes easy work of whipping up a glass whenever the spirit moves you; the Ginger Juice recipe makes enough for 24 glasses of tonic.

Serves 1

• 2 teaspoons frozen Ginger Juice
• Juice of ½ lime
• 1 cup good-quality coconut water, preferably from a fresh Thai coconut (see sidebar)
• Stevia sweetener (optional)
• Ice, as needed
• Seltzer water, as needed

Combine the frozen Ginger Juice with the lime juice, coconut water, and stevia to taste, if using, in a glass. Fill with ice, top off with seltzer water, and serve.

Ginger Juice

Makes 1 cup

• 1 pound fresh ginger

Juice the ginger to yield 1 cup fresh ginger juice. Freeze in 2-teaspoon portions in ice-cube trays. Once they are frozen, pop them out and store, frozen, in a Ziploc bag. Ginger cubes will keep, frozen, for up to 1 year.

Fresh Thai Coconuts

Did you know that fresh coconut water was occasionally used during World War II as a replacement for intravenous saline solution when medical supplies were low? The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in young coconuts are amazing, and the water is also isotonic, meaning it replaces body fluids lost to physical stress or injury. My family chops off the top of fresh coconut and drinks the water. Then we scrape out the tender, snowy meat and eat it straight or add it to Thai dishes. I also recommend Harmless Harvest–brand coconut water, a cold-processed product with incredible flavor.