Strawberry-Rhubarb Lemonade with Basil and Lemon

Rinse the fruit and prepare it as specified in the ingredients. Wash the lemon thoroughly, finely grate only the yellow part of the peel and squeeze the juice into a separate container. Combine the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, water and zest in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cook for 8–10 minutes, until the rhubarb softens.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the lemon juice, and lightly mash the fruit with a spoon to release more flavor. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Strain the syrup through a sieve into a heatproof container, pressing the fruit with a spoon. You can use the pulp in yogurt or porridge. Cool the syrup, then refrigerate until completely cold. Add the sparkling water only once the base is cold. Allow roughly 100 minutes for the entire passive stage, including resting, cooling and refrigeration. This is a planning estimate: the base must be cold before adding sparkling water, even if it needs longer to chill.

Just before serving, add the cold sparkling water and half of the basil leaves to the pitcher, then stir gently so the drink retains its bubbles.

Cut the two lemon slices in half. Fill four glasses with ice, pour in the lemonade and garnish each with the remaining basil and half a lemon slice. Serve immediately while the drink is cold.