Cocktail Friday: Honey Rhubarb Martini

My sister, Rebecca (who also blogs here), will be taking the reigns on Fridays for a while and I am SO excited about it! Armed with her trusty iPhone and lots of Happy Hour experience, I know she will be bringing some great stuff to Set the Table! This time, she and my mom teamed up to bring us this beautiful Honey Rhubarb Martini.

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My mom and sister cook the same way. They throw things together without thinking too hard about it; they sense it. Meanwhile, I'm leaning over their shoulder like a pest asking,

"Why are you doing that?"

"Is it really supposed to look like that?"

"Are you sure it'll turn out? What if it doesn't turn out?"

They cook the way I play music. The next chord is a four chord and the next is a minor sixth and there is a little change in rhythm here and let's throw in a seventh chord here. I can't explain it. I sense it. When you feel like that about something, pay attention. It probably means you've found the thing you are supposed to be doing.

Last night, my mom improvised a cocktail out of one of the only things ready to pick in our Minnesota garden: rhubarb. At first, it was going to be a rhubarb margarita but, by the time she was done, it was a gorgeous, cold, pink rhubarb martini.

And as always, it was delicious.

Honey Rhubarb Martini

Makes 2 cocktails

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup rhubarb cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
• 3 shots vodka
• 2 shots rhubarb syrup
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 large lumps ice

Instructions

For the Simple Syrup:

For the cocktail:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the honey, water, rhubarb cubes, and grated ginger.
2. Heat and stir at medium heat until the rhubarb is soft.
3. Place hot saucepan into a larger bowl filled with ice.
4. When cooled, strain into a small jar or pitcher.
5. In a cocktail shaker, combine the ice, vodka, rhubarb syrup and lime juice.
6. Shake until well chilled and pour into your favorite martini glasses.
7. Garnish with fresh lime and/or rhubarb.

Cocktail Friday: Cherry Vodka

My sister, Rebecca (who also blogs here), will be taking the reigns on Fridays for a while and I SO excited about it! Armed with her trusty iPhone and lots of Happy Hour experience, I know she will be bringing some great stuff to Set the Table! Here is her first shot (no pun intended) at Cocktail Friday: a delicious and beautiful cherry vodka recipe. My name is Rebecca and my drink of choice is Vodka Soda with Lime. And I'm not sorry. To me, it's like a palatable, unsweetened limeade. Simple and clean.

Vodka is traditionally made from potatoes or grains and distilled three(ish) times in a process that renders it nearly flavorless. The word itself is a diminutive of the word for water in Russian. I've read that the earliest vodkas had an unsavory smell and, as efforts evolved to clean up the smell, so too went the taste. Or maybe that's conjecture ...

The lack of flavor, however, has a surprising way of making other flavors go gangbusters. Certain foods have flavor profiles that can only be brought out by alcohol (that's why we use vodka in tomato sauce - it amps up weak tomatoes). Vodka, with it's clean taste, brings out these new and stronger flavors without adding additional complexity.

Last summer, I bought fresh cherries at the farmers market, put them in an extra large canning jar, covered them with vodka, and let them sit on a dark shelf until Christmas. They were sour cherries so I didn't know what to expect. Let me tell you, t'was delicious. I drank my cherry vodka plain with soda water and ice and a lot of happiness. You can do this with any fruit, vegetable, spice, herb, edible flower, or combination thereof.

One more thing: from martinis "Shaken, not stirred," to Bloody Marys, to vodka red bulls (um, yuck?), vodka is surprisingly ubiquitous. And, while many of us have an eye out for all things locally crafted, vodka also comes across as annoyingly corporate. Enter: Local (to the Twin Cities) newcomer, Norseman Distillery's Vodka. It has my complete and *completely unsolicited* endorsement.

Cherry Vodka

Ingredients

• 1 bottle of vodka
• 1 lb cherries, or enough cherries to fill the bottle halfway

Instructions

1. Fill a jar with peak season cherries (or whatever).
2. Completely cover cherries (or whatever) with vodka and twist on lid.
3. Put on shelf and wait at least a month.

Cocktail Friday: Gin & Tonic

One of my favorite cocktails is the classic gin & tonic. It isn't fussy or complicated and it always makes me think of sitting outside in the sun, leaves rustling in the trees overhead and birds darting back and forth in the blue skies. There is something so wonderful and peaceful about these first few weeks of spring and early summer. Everything is new and fresh, just begging to be enjoyed. Kind of like a gin & tonic, yes?

A good G & T starts with a good quality tonic water. I didn't used to feel like the difference was great enough to warrant anything but the typical grocery store brand. While there is nothing inherently wrong with using what's most available, I find searching for something of better quality results in a less sugary, subtle flavor allowing the gin and lime juice to shine through. On that note, make sure you use a good gin. My favorites are Heritage Distilling's Elk Rider Gin & Prairie Gin.

I've mentioned before that having a few crunchy, salty bites during cocktail hour and sweet potato chips are at the top of the list. Their lovely color and light crispness works beautifully with a light, refreshing gin & tonic. I've also been known to enjoy a few classic potato chips...the saltier the better! I know- I'm judging myself a little too. But everything in moderation, right?

Gin & Tonic

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 2 oz gin
• 1 oz tonic water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• lime wedges for garnish

Instructions

1. Fill a short cocktail glass with ice.
2. Add the gin, tonic water, and lime juice.
3. Stir gently to combine.

Pineapple Coconut Mojito

Just when I thought mojitos couldn't get any better, I took a sip of this pineapple coconut mojito and my mind was blown. I just wanted to get that out in the open from the start.

I just got home from Tennessee moments ago. On our way home from the airport, we made a quick stop for some tacos and ingredients for making margaritas to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The weather is absolutely perfect and so we sat in the backyard. It was a relief to be home even though our visit to the South was so lovely. There is just nothing like your own home, is there?

Tonight was the first night that made me crave a mojito. My cocktail preferences change accordingly with the weather (except when it comes to red wine- that is something that needs no appropriate season) and this week is a mojito week for sure. The nice people at Blue Chair Bay Rum sent a bottle of their coconut rum my way and, muddled with fresh pineapple and mint leaves, it made a superb cocktail. You know how some sunscreen smells like a piña colada? That's what I thought of when I took the first sip.

No, it doesn't taste like sunscreen. I promise.

I have to be honest and say that coconut rum is typically the last thing on my mind when I think about stocking my liquor cabinet. But I'm actually quite happy this bottle made its way into the mix. I think it will be a wonderfully refreshing addition to summer cocktails with friends.

And the bottle is so pretty!

One last little tidbit of information for you- did you know today is National Beverage Day? It is! What better way to celebrate than with a fresh, tropical mojito?

To learn more about Blue Chair Bay Rum, check out their website by clicking here. You can also give them a 'like' on Facebook by clicking here.

Pineapple Coconut Mojito

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fresh pineapple chunks
• 10 mint leaves, plus extra for garnishing
• 2 oz coconut rum
• 1 oz club soda

Instructions

1. In the bottom of a cocktail shaker or large glass, muddle the pineapple with the mint leaves and rum.
2. Add ice and stir until well chilled.
3. Strain into an ice-filled cocktail glass and garnish with the extra mint leaves.

Notes

If you can't find good fresh pineapple, go ahead and use frozen. Do NOT, under any circumstances, use canned pineapple. Just say 'no'.

Tennessee Pimento Cheese Crostini

Don't worry. I'll get to this pimento cheese crostini recipe momentarily. First, a little about this visit to Tennessee...

Tennessee has always been a summer state in my mind. I rarely spent time there outside of summer vacation when I was growing up with the exception of a couple Christmases that I barely remember. This last trip, in the middle of spring, was something very different. We flew into Nashville in the midst of some epically bad weather. Storms and tornadoes peppered the entire region and I wasn’t entirely sure I’d made the right decision flying into the thick of it. Someone was watching over us because we made it safely and, despite a few toddler-related road blocks, the drive from Nashville to Cookeville went smoothly.

We stayed with family in Cookeville for the first couple of days, which was bittersweet this time around because it was my first visit since my grandma passed away. I don’t think visits here will ever feel the same now that she’s gone. Still, I feel her here. Riley was playing on the kitchen floor of my grandparents old house the other day. Rain was clamoring outside and my mom was preparing some leftover cornbread for us to snack on. He sat there in the middle of the floor and I was sure my grandma was watching every move he made with a dainty, sweet smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. I could picture her joy so clearly in my mind as I paged through her 1970’s copy of the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook, complete with her old Sunday school list and a hand-written recipe for window cleaner.

We left Cookeville on Wednesday and drove through the still rainy Smoky Mountains in search of the cabin we reserved. To be honest, we were all rather exhausted and ready to be done traveling for a while. Travel is getting more difficult as Riley gets older. After some curvy roads with sharp, hairpin turns, we finally arrived. My first instict was to turn around and demand a new cabin because it seemed precariously perched on unsteady beams.

When a toddler is present, this is how your mind works.

Still, we decided to go ahead and give it a try. Once we got past the initial feelings of uncertainty, we embraced the taxidermy-filled walls and settled in. The wrap around porch drew us all in despite it's slightly tattered swings and the occasional large bumblebee buzzing in to keep on us our toes.

The hot tub overlooking the Smokies (see image above) didn't hurt.

We drove through Maryville, Tennessee on our way to the cabin and stopped at a little store called The Market. We ate sandwiches and sipped ice cold water then browsed the shelves for a few minutes in search of something delicious to purchase and bring up the mountain with us. I spotted some pimento cheese, which I despised as a child after watching my grandfather spread a pasty substance barely resembling cheese on a slice of Wonderbread. At the Market, pimento cheese looked delicious. Thick shreds of cheddar cheese mixed with roasted red peppers, spices, and a barely-there touch of mayonnaise didn't seem as scary.

I bought a little tub along with some fresh French baguettes and a Granny Smith apple. I simply sliced the bread, drizzled it with oil and sprinkled it with a bit of salt and pepper, then toasted them to golden, crusty perfection. Spread with a healthy amount of pimento cheese and a few thin slices of Granny Smith apple, the crostini was better than I anticipated.

Then I drizzled it with local Locust honey and it became even more amazing. But the honey is optional.

Tennessee Pimento Cheese Crostini

Ingredients

• 1 small French baguette, cut into eight 1/4 inch slices
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and black pepper
• 1 cup pimento cheese
• 1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the bread slices on a large, rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Bake 6-8 minutes or until lightly golden.
5. Spread each toast with some of the pimento cheese and top with two or three of the apple slices.

Cocktail Friday: Peach Margarita + Basil Salt

Let's all go on vacation and have peach margaritas with basil salt. Deal?

I'm a big fan of classic margaritas (on the rocks please-and-thank-you). But I also enjoy playing around with new flavors because, let's be honest, it's fun. Last year I made a Pineapple-Honey Margarita that was fantastic. Fresh pineapple and a touch of honey made a perfectly balanced margarita that wasn't heavily laden with sugar. This year, I've done this peach margarita with basil salt. I know peaches are not in season at the moment (I had a bunch in the freezer from last summer that worked perfectly here) so feel free to use frozen if you can't get your hands on nice, ripe fruit.

As with the Pineapple-Honey Margarita, this one did not need any extra sugar. Peaches are already so beautifully sweet and make a nice match for silver tequila. The basil salt adds a fun, unique element to the cocktail but is completely optional. I love the little green flecks against the peachy orange of the drink. And you do get a hint of that sweet, grassy herbal flavor that basil is so loved for. This time of year that flavor is like gold. After harshly cold winter months, a little reminder of that spring-summer flavor is welcome.

Cinco de Mayo is upon us and this would make the perfect margarita to celebrate with along with a couple tasty tacos.

I'd love to hear what you all like to do to create your own unique version of the margarita!

Go Sugar Free begins again May 7th! You can sign up now by clicking HERE. This cocktail is a great example of what you can learn about living with less sugar!

Peach Margaritas with Basil Salt

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 4 oz Silver Tequila
• 1 cup frozen peach slices
• 1/3 cup margarita salt
• 1/4 cup firmly packed basil leaves

Instructions

1. Combine the tequila and peach slices in a blender. Pulse until completely mixed and slushy-like.
2. Chop the basil leaves roughly, then add the salt to your cutting board and continue to chop until the salt and basil are incorporated. You don't want to pulverize the basil, just get it evenly distributed throughout the salt.
3. Spread the salt in an even layer on the cutting board.
4. Use water or a touch of honey to coat the rims of two margarita glasses.
5. Gently coat the glass rims in the basil salt and fill each with the peach margaritas.

Notes

Use frozen peaches unless you can find really flavorful, juicy fresh peaches in season. If you use fresh peaches, add 2/3 cup ice to the blender. If the peaches are a little bland, add just a touch of lime juice and a bit of honey. Otherwise, the peaches are plenty sweet on their own, making this a healthier margarita choice. Cheers to that!