By Week 526. Year 11. Tommy is 43. The crawfish are running and the driveway is set up and the neighborhood knows because the steam carries the invitation. Rémy at the burner, 43-year-old Tommy at the table with a beer, watching the boy who became a cook become a man who cooks. Luc (20) graduated LSU, working in petroleum/energy. Colette (17) in college/nursing school. The spring is the same spring — crawfish and azaleas and the particular heat of March in Louisiana — and the sameness is the prayer.
Made crawfish pasta this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. Laissez les bons temps rouler.
When Rémy’s at the burner and the steam is carrying the invitation halfway down the street, the last thing I want to do is fuss over drinks — I want something cold and festive that practically makes itself, something that says welcome the same way the food does. This Springtime Punch is exactly that: a pitcher you set on the table next to the paper towels and the hot sauce and let people help themselves, bright and cheerful as the azaleas that showed up right on schedule, same as they always do.
Springtime Punch
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 2 liters lemon-lime soda, chilled
- 1 (46 oz) can pineapple juice, chilled
- 1 (12 oz) can frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
- 1 cup cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
- 1/2 gallon raspberry or pineapple sherbet
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced, for garnish
- Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the juices. In a large punch bowl, stir together the pineapple juice, pink lemonade concentrate, and cranberry juice until the concentrate is fully incorporated.
- Add the soda. Slowly pour in the lemon-lime soda, pouring along the side of the bowl to preserve the carbonation. Give it one gentle stir.
- Add the sherbet. Scoop the sherbet into the punch bowl in large spoonfuls. It will float on top and slowly melt into the punch, adding a creamy sweetness as guests serve themselves.
- Garnish and serve. Float the lemon slices on top and add mint sprigs if using. Serve immediately with a ladle. Replenish sherbet as needed to keep the punch cold and frothy.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 210 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Carbs: 49g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 55mg