A chilly aperitif recipe for a hot day.

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 cups water
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup Driscoll's strawberries, hulled
• ice cubes, optional
• thin lemon slice, optional

Place lemon juice in a cup, cover, and refrigerate. Place the water, sugar, salt, and strawberries in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. As the mixture heats, stir it often with a wooden spoon and, using the back of the spoon, crush the berries. Continue to boil, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved and a light syrup has formed, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool, cover, and refrigerate until well chilled. Pour the chilled syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher; discard all the strawberry pulp. Add the lemon juice and stir well. Taste and adjust for sugar. Pour into glasses. Serve with ice cubes and garnish with lemon slices, if desired.

Recipe from "Aperitif: Recipes for Simple Pleasures in French Style," by Georgeanne Brennan, 1997, Chronicle Books.

Per serving: calories 164, fat 0.1g, 1% calories from fat, cholesterol 0mg, protein 0.3g, carbohydrates 42.8g, fiber 1.0g, sugar 40.3g, sodium 83mg, diet points 3.6.

Dietary Exchanges: Milk: 0.0, Vegetable: 0.0, Fruit: 0.4, Bread: 0.0, Lean meat: 0.0, Fat: 0.0, Sugar: 2.2, Very lean meat protein: 0.0

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