Fennel Infused Rhubarb Spritzer
This weekend was humid, humid, humid in Minnesota! We had a few rain showers, and the heat and humidity made it unbearable to be outside for very long. That gave the Payaso and me time to clean the house, indulge in some binge movie watching, gave me time to cook and give some much needed attention to my blog. I’ve missed you, friends!
We recently received our first Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) box from Community Homestead in Osceola, Wisconsin (about 45 minutes northeast from where we live). I learned about Community Homestead through our neighborhood Facebook page. A neighbor was looking for others in the group to join the CSA through Community Homestead, and after researching about the Community Homestead farm, I was hooked. I knew we needed to support this group. Community members on the farm have diverse developmental abilities and disabilities of various ages. It’s a non-discriminatory group that lives by the motto that “only by helping others do we find, and help, ourselves.” I absolutely love that (and the pictures of the community members helping out on the farm are pure joy). In addition to the CSA box, we signed up for a bi-weekly meat box, which we should receive next week; cannot wait! We can also order from their online store items like pickles, jams, pies, and cookies. You all know how I feel about cooking, and how it can show love to those around you so knowing that these community members are learning kitchen and gardening skills makes my heart pitter patter. Our first CSA box had loads of mixed greens, napa cabbage, bunching onions (a/k/a scallions or green onions), mint, bok choy and rhubarb. As a kid I loved eating the green onions fresh from the garden, and once I saw those fragrant white and green onions, I couldn’t help myself…off to the sink for a quick rinse and chomp, chomp, chomp. The Payaso stood in shock – and horror (he’s not a big fan of raw onions) – as I found happiness in those crisp, sharp and pungent bites of that green onion. Even after flossing and brushing my teeth twice, I can still taste that fresh linger of onion; talk about oniony fresh! I’m very excited about our weekly CSA boxes, and I hope to find time to showcase some creativity from the seasonal produce in my blog. Here’s my shameless plug to get out and support local farmers at co-ops and farmer’s markets. Learn about where your food comes from and meet the people who grow and manage the farm. Food can be such a great way to bring community together.
I was happy to see that small bunch of rhubarb in the CSA box. We grow rhubarb in our garden, but it’s the green variety, and while there’s really no difference in taste between the red and green rhubarb, there’s something about the red variety that I’m more attracted to. Perhaps it is because my maternal grandparents had red rhubarb in their garden, or perhaps it’s because I like the red, vibrant color the rhubarb adds to dishes. Did you know that the general rule of thumb is that rhubarb season ends by the 4th of July? I generally only use rhubarb in sweet, dessert-like dishes so I thought it would be fun to try some savory dishes using rhubarb, and this weekend was the perfect opportunity to experiment. The first thing I wanted to make was some sort of cocktail. Who doesn’t like a cocktail when it’s 95 degrees outside? Okay, okay…who doesn’t like a cocktail whenever it won’t get you in trouble?!?
Fennel Infused Rhubarb Spritzer
Ingredients:
- ¼ fennel bulb, untrimmed, coarsely chopped
- 1 (375-ml) bottle dry vermouth (375 ml is equal to 1.5 cups)
- 1 large rhubarb stalk, thinly sliced, plus more, shaved, for serving
- ½ cup sugar
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 – 5 lemons)
- ¾ cup gin
- Carbonated water, lemon soda or prosecco
Directions:
- Combine fennel and vermouth in a glass container. Cover and chill 2 days. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and add to a glass pitcher.
- Bring rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup water to a gentle simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until mixture is pink and slightly syrupy, about 20 minutes. Let cool, then transfer to a blender and purée until smooth.
- Combine fennel-infused vermouth, rhubarb purée, and gin into a large pitcher. Pour cocktail into ice-filled glasses about 3/4 full and top with carbonated water, lemon soda or prosecco. Garnish with shaved rhubarb, if desired.
I think we were both a little apprehensive about this cocktail, especially because it took two days of infusing the vermouth with fennel, but let me just say that it was well worth the wait. This cocktail is smooth, and the flavor combination between the fennel and rhubarb are near magical. Give this libation a try because it’s something different and refreshing. It’d also be a great refreshment to make for friends while enjoying warm summer months; something that will definitely wet their whistle. The puree and vermouth will last a week in the fridge so it’s also the perfect treat to have for those not-so-great days at the office. It’s a drink you’ll enjoy coming home to, that’s for sure! Perfect cocktail for some day drinking! I can’t wait to get home and have another one of these beauties!
Stay tuned for a savory pork tenderloin with rhubarb compote recipe…delicious and easy to make without heating up your kitchen!