Rhubarbtini – when life gives you rhubarb make a drink

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If I could eat only one thing for the rest of my life, it would be rhubarb fool, which I make with ginger and a hint of elderflower cordial.
— Sebastian Faulk

Hi there,

We moved into our home in Haddonfield in 1979. It was a cold, snowy, winter day in January. But we didn’t care, we were over the moon happy to be able to make this sad, neglected house our home.

We couldn’t even afford professional movers. But, our band of friends all came to our aid with a fleet of cars and rented trucks and quickly got “the owl and the pussycat” settled into our beautiful pea green house.

As we were taking a lunch break that afternoon, two adorable young girls rang our doorbell. They introduced themselves as Becky and Kathy Malcarney. They brought over a homemade cake and welcomed us to the neighborhood. With as much sophistication as they could muster, the girls informed me that they would make excellent babysitters. Then, they quickly returned to childhood, and asked if they and their brothers could continue to roll down the hill on our front yard.

This is the Malcarney bunch and that is our house in the background.

I had the pleasure of watching these adorable young girls become kind, caring, beautiful women. And, as a bonus, Dom and I developed a wonderful friendship with their parents that extends into the present day.

So, the other day I was gifted with a box of rhubarb from Becky hand- delivered by her mother, Kaye. I have never attempted to make anything from rhubarb but decided to give it a try and decided to make rhubarb syrup and invent a rhubarbtini.

Ingredients:

  • 3 to 4 lbs of rhubarb cut into approximately 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 vanilla pod split
  • 8 cups of water
  • honey powder or sugar to garnish the glass

Directions:

  1. Wash the rhubarb in cold water, trim the ends, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. (There’s no need to peel them or worry about the fibers, as these simply melt down.)
  2. Place the fruit in a 6 to 8-quart pot and add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, immediately reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cover, stirring occasionally. When all the chunks have broken down into a uniform soup — 20 minutes or so — remove it from the heat.
  3. Uncover and allow to cool. As soon as it is cool enough to handle, ladle into a fine-mesh strainer over a spouted collecting bowl. (You may have to do this in batches.) The pulp will become a mass, so stirring it in the strainer with a wooden spoon will allow it to drain better.
  4. Once it’s drained, put the the syrup into a container and refrigerate immediately.

Rhubarbtini Directions:

In a shaker filled with ice add equal amounts of syrup and vodka. Shake until chilled and pour into a coupe glass that has been rimmed with powdered honey or sugar. Enjoy!

Talk soon, ❤️💕 Bernadette

34 responses to “Rhubarbtini – when life gives you rhubarb make a drink”

  1. Beautiful memories and a great idea using rhubarb! My grandma used to do compote with it and was super delicious 😋

  2. LoseWeightWithAng – Hi, I'm Ang! I've conquered weight loss and binge eating and would love to help you too. Follow for fitness and weight loss tips, motivation, and health advice! To become the best version of yourself, visit https://loseweightwithang.com/
    LoseWeightWithAng says:

    I love the story that came with the recipe Bernadette! It was heartwarming 😊

  3. Angie@Angie's Recipes – Angie's Recipes is an interactive blog dedicated to sharing yummy & creative recipes, helpful cooking hints and tips. Enjoy your visit and spread the word!
    Angie Schn says:

    What sweet memories and a creative cocktail recipe! I love the beautiful colour and bet it’s very tasty too.
    angiesrecipes
    http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

  4. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen – I'm a writer, cook, gardener, photographer, poet, quilter, and accomplished daydreamer. I'm also a wife, mother, grandmother, sister. cousin, aunt, and friend, no particular order on any given day. I've been a writer all my life, newspaper reporter and columnist, radio news writer, and magazine contributor, and poet and short-story writer as the spirit moves. Now, I turn my attention to my cookbook, the blog, and a cooking column "Memorable Meals," which runs in our county newspaper. Besides my family, I love dogs, cats, good coffee, chocolate, and my never-dwindling pile of books I intend to read. Our family ran a small Vermont Inn for 18 years, with our focus on local, organic ingredients. I cook from scratch, and try not to use anything that has ingredients I cannot pronounce! After many years of daily serving up local delicacies, cooking classes, and catering, we are now only open for special events, and the odd cooking class. We also host musicians and artists, having helped produce a musical festival and other musical events for nearly 20 years. Many incredible artists have found a place at our table. Wonderful experiences, we will treasure always. My family and friends are my practice subjects. With a family that includes nut, peanut, tree fruit, and vegetable allergies, gluten intolerance, dairy intolerance, vegetarians, vegans, heart conscious, and a couple of picky eaters, there has to be a few quick tricks in the book to keep everyone fed and happy! Personally, I do not eat red meat or most full-fat dairy (usually) for health reasons, making the occasional exception at Thanksgiving and Christmas or our anniversary if the duck is locally raised. I do eat fish and seafood, so I try to come up with alternatives and substitutions when available. I serve local organic eggs and cheeses to my family who can tolerate dairy (My husband recently had a heart attack, and I need to watch my own cholesterol so I am careful, but have been known to let a little piece of really good cheese accidentally fall on my plate!). I believe strongly that eating in a way that is good for our planet is also good for our bodies, and I try to educated myself about our food sources! I cook by the seasons and draw on inspiration from the strong and talented women in my family who came before me, as well as the youth in the family who look at the world with fresh eyes. Food links us all, whether sharing a meal, cooking it together, or writing about it for others to enjoy. I love taking an old recipe and giving it a modern spin, especially if I can make it a littler healthier and use foods that are kinder to the Earth and to our bodies. I believe strongly in sustainable, delicious eating of whole foods, and the wonderful flavors we have at our fingertips! And finally, I love conversing with all the talented cooks and chefs out there who dot the globe! It's a wonderful, world full of culinary pen pals, and I cherish them all! XXXOOO Dorothy
    Dorothy’s New Vintage Kitchen says:

    What lovely memories, and a lovely recipe!

      • Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen – I'm a writer, cook, gardener, photographer, poet, quilter, and accomplished daydreamer. I'm also a wife, mother, grandmother, sister. cousin, aunt, and friend, no particular order on any given day. I've been a writer all my life, newspaper reporter and columnist, radio news writer, and magazine contributor, and poet and short-story writer as the spirit moves. Now, I turn my attention to my cookbook, the blog, and a cooking column "Memorable Meals," which runs in our county newspaper. Besides my family, I love dogs, cats, good coffee, chocolate, and my never-dwindling pile of books I intend to read. Our family ran a small Vermont Inn for 18 years, with our focus on local, organic ingredients. I cook from scratch, and try not to use anything that has ingredients I cannot pronounce! After many years of daily serving up local delicacies, cooking classes, and catering, we are now only open for special events, and the odd cooking class. We also host musicians and artists, having helped produce a musical festival and other musical events for nearly 20 years. Many incredible artists have found a place at our table. Wonderful experiences, we will treasure always. My family and friends are my practice subjects. With a family that includes nut, peanut, tree fruit, and vegetable allergies, gluten intolerance, dairy intolerance, vegetarians, vegans, heart conscious, and a couple of picky eaters, there has to be a few quick tricks in the book to keep everyone fed and happy! Personally, I do not eat red meat or most full-fat dairy (usually) for health reasons, making the occasional exception at Thanksgiving and Christmas or our anniversary if the duck is locally raised. I do eat fish and seafood, so I try to come up with alternatives and substitutions when available. I serve local organic eggs and cheeses to my family who can tolerate dairy (My husband recently had a heart attack, and I need to watch my own cholesterol so I am careful, but have been known to let a little piece of really good cheese accidentally fall on my plate!). I believe strongly that eating in a way that is good for our planet is also good for our bodies, and I try to educated myself about our food sources! I cook by the seasons and draw on inspiration from the strong and talented women in my family who came before me, as well as the youth in the family who look at the world with fresh eyes. Food links us all, whether sharing a meal, cooking it together, or writing about it for others to enjoy. I love taking an old recipe and giving it a modern spin, especially if I can make it a littler healthier and use foods that are kinder to the Earth and to our bodies. I believe strongly in sustainable, delicious eating of whole foods, and the wonderful flavors we have at our fingertips! And finally, I love conversing with all the talented cooks and chefs out there who dot the globe! It's a wonderful, world full of culinary pen pals, and I cherish them all! XXXOOO Dorothy
        Dorothy’s New Vintage Kitchen says:

        And you weave it together so well!

  5. Angela – New England-born, Pennsylvania raised, fervent Italian-American, I'm a reader/writer/editor and lover of family, travel, food, and wine, and Enzo, our slightly oversized but otherwise textbook Maltese. My husband's a concrete sequential Leo and I’m a daydreaming Pisces, which makes daily life just a bit more interesting.
    Angela says:

    Your story reminds me of my own 1970s experience as a young mother in a neighborhood already rich with families and young ladies who loved being around babies. Precious memories!

  6. Our home in the country had a perfect hill for sledding and snow-boarding – we were very popular during the winter time! For some reason I have never cooked with rhubarb but I would enjoy making this drink!

  7. Tanooki – On her way to home cooking culinary journey. When there is a yummy homemade food, there is a smile:) & food coma;)
    Tanooki says:

    Such a beautiful color! I never tried rhubarb and wondering how to use them, thank you for sharing this😊

  8. Chef Mimi – As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!
    chef mimi says:

    Forget the drink, I love this story!!! No, kidding. Love the cocktail. Not sure I feel like messing with rhubarb for the cocktail, but it’s damn pretty! And sounds delish!

    • Thanks Mimi. It is a fun memory. The cocktail is good. I just needed to make something new with rhubarb. Everything that can be done with this ingredient seems to have been already done. Have a good week my friend.

  9. the Painted Apron – Life is all about creativity for me, as long as I'm creating something I am happy! I hope I will inspire your daily life and give you ideas for your own wonderful creations!
    the Painted Apron says:

    I have never cooked with rhubarb! I don’t think I’ve ever had anything made with it…but I’m up for a good martini! Very inventive and clever recipe and I loved your sweet story!
    Jenna

  10. Jacqui Murray – Laguna Hills, CA. – Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also the author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. Her non-fiction includes over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, reviews as an Amazon Vine Voice, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Savage Land.
    Jacqui Murray says:

    A simpler life when families were large. Love it. What could compliment those memories better than a rhubarbtini!

  11. D. Wallace Peach – 30 Miles beyond the edge of civilization, Oregon – I'm an adventurer in writing, peering under rocks in my garden for secret magic. I can't stop writing. My stories want to explode from my head. They demand my attention and surge from my fingertips faster than I can put them to paper. I love what I do.
    D. Wallace Peach says:

    “I have never attempted to make anything from rhubarb but decided to give it a try and decided to make rhubarb syrup and invent a rhubarbtini.” That line cracked me up, Bernadette. Not a pie or crisp… but a rubarbtini! It looks wonderful and I’ll bet it was delish! And wonderful neighbors. How sweet. 😀

      • D. Wallace Peach – 30 Miles beyond the edge of civilization, Oregon – I'm an adventurer in writing, peering under rocks in my garden for secret magic. I can't stop writing. My stories want to explode from my head. They demand my attention and surge from my fingertips faster than I can put them to paper. I love what I do.
        D. Wallace Peach says:

        I don’t know how we lost touch. A blog change? It was a delight to see your name pop up. And yes. a little weird, but that’s the fun! I’ll bet is was good too.

      • After my son died, I stopped blogging for a few years. I couldn’t go back to the old blog, so I am trying to combine my two loves – storytelling and cooking.

      • D. Wallace Peach – 30 Miles beyond the edge of civilization, Oregon – I'm an adventurer in writing, peering under rocks in my garden for secret magic. I can't stop writing. My stories want to explode from my head. They demand my attention and surge from my fingertips faster than I can put them to paper. I love what I do.
        D. Wallace Peach says:

        I’m so sorry, Bernadette. I remember how devastating it was for my parents to lose my brother. It’s just not supposed to happen out of order. My heart goes out to you. And I’m so glad to reconnect. Hugs and more hugs. <3 <3 <3

  12. Hi Bernadette, this is a great post. How nice that you made such good friends and connections. I’ve never made anything with rhubarb either.

  13. Fairy Qu33n – Italy – Welcome to my world. I am FAIRY QU33N. I live in Italy, near Venice. I'm a positive girl. I have been an artist for many years of my life, I studied Performing Arts and Fine Arts at the UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LONDON and Creative Management at Luiss Business School. I speak Italian and English languages. I am like a little tomato on bruschetta. Revolutionary. Delicate like a white rose. Passionate. I believe in the value of friendship and love, collaboration and mutual help on an interpersonal and international level. My passions are: swimming, MTB, trekking, diving, kite surfing, sub diving, tai chi, meditation, cycling, art, gardening, theater, cinema, travelling. I love cats, dogs, birds, animals, flowers, trees, wolves, butterflies and every creature of Mother Nature.
    Fairy Queen says:

    I think that a house contains within itself the story of many people in the family. Objects, furniture, every corner tells something. After so many years it is like a database of memories. This cocktail is very interesting 😋😋😋

  14. Becky Ross Michael – North TX – A native Michigander/Michiganian, Becky now lives in North Texas. This former teacher writes both fiction and memoir. When she's not working on stories and books for adults or children, Becky freelances as a writer, proofreader, and editor.
    Becky Ross Michael says:

    My dad grew enormous rhubarb when I was a kid, and I loved all the desserts my grandmother and mom made with it. This drink sounds good to me!

  15. Karen – New England – I travel the back roads of the world, sharing great food and interesting places and enjoyable pastimes.
    Karen says:

    What a clever use of rhubarb and the drink is so pretty. Who wonderful that you have maintained such a lovely friendship over the years.

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