One of my favorite things about living in a new place is exploring the seasons in a new way, always a little unsure exactly when they'll show up and what new surprises they'll bring. An early and out-of-control beautiful spring has been one of my favorite seasonal surprises in Portland thus far. If you haven't been, I might just go so far as to say that this is the absolute best time to be here!
Come on and visit!
And with spring comes rhubarb, glorious magical perfectly tart rhubarb! While it definitely isn't a fruit, rhubarb always gets me excited for the progression of fruit harvests to follow. Each spring, it's the first taste of the seasons to really beg my attention in the kitchen. Rhubarb is so unique in it's flavor, requiring a bit of coaxing to really make it sing - something to balance that characteristic sour flavor.
Lucky for me, there always seems to be some blueberries lurking in the freezer this time of year, and blueberries make a great compliment to rhubarb before the strawberries start to show their beautiful red flesh. Blueberries are so incredibly easy to freeze, I always freeze way more of them than I need... and not enough of things like strawberries and cherries that require more work to freeze and disappear before the holidays. Thankfully, rhubarb season always solves that with things like this refreshing drink and blueberry rhubarb crisps!
This rhubarbade is perfect for my fellow rhubarb lovers and folks who aren't quite sure about that tart stalk just yet. The floral scent of the rhubarb perfectly balancing the blueberries and mint. Pour it over ice and drink it straight, or try it with a little Ransom Old Tom Gin mixed in!
Blueberry Mint Rhubarb-ade
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup fresh mint
1/2 lb rhubarb, roughly chopped
1/4 cup sugar (or another sweetener!)
5 cups water
2 Tbsp lemon juice
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for 1-2 minutes, until it's really smooth.
- While the juice is blending, set up a strainer over a jar or bowl. I used a nut-milk bag over a mesh strainer, but you could use just the mesh strainer or add cheesecloth or a clean towel to keep the final product totally pulp-free.
- Pour the juice through the strainer to remove the pulp, and viola - rhubarbade!
- The rhubarbade will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.