Blueberry Mint Rhubarbade

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. 

batidos. batidos. batidos! (the latin american milkshake!)

In total, I've spent about a year of my life living and working in Latin American countries, learning to live life at a different speed than we do here in good ole' America. I've brought a laundry list of life lessons and cooking skills home from these adventures, but the simple joy of fresh fruit batidos might be the absolute best piece of latin life I've integrated into my days here at home. 

In Ecuador, where I spent time most recently, I like to think batidos are a way of life. My host mom would make either a batido or a fresh juice for me each and every morning with breakfast, and any day spent on city streets would surely include at least one or two stops for a quick batido - the best way to beat that equatorial heat (okay... well... it might be tied with ice cream, because who can argue with ice cream when it comes to beating the heat?). 

If you're not already familiar with them, you're surely wondering what a batido is by now! I like to think of them as a healthy version of a milkshake, or just a super simple creamy smoothie. In Ecuador, batidos are made with just fresh fruit, milk, some sugar, and maybe a little vanilla. They come in an endless number of flavors, and you can always order them with water instead of milk, but then you're approaching juice rather than amazing milkshakey goodness! 

Batido stands are a dime a dozen, and you can almost always order your batido in a glass and saddle up to one of the barstools at the stand to enjoy your treat right there. This is a great way to chat with the locals, but I believe the real batido magic comes when you order it to go. They pour your batido into a plastic bag, stick a straw in it, and tie a knot around the straw - it's a little awkward the first time around, but you surely learn to love it! 

Instead of using fresh fruit, I like to make my batidos with frozen fruit to give them a super cold, thick, milkshake like quality. I've been known to toss fruit in the freezer right after buying it at the farmers market in order to achieve this refreshing and cold wonder! 

I'm including a list below of some of my favorite batidos to make at home, which use easy-to-find fruits, but feel free to experiment with your favorite fruits! I've included the optional addition of sugar in some of the recipes, which is how batidos are made in Latin America, but they are just as tasty, and much better for you with the sugar omitted! 

sweet black cherries make a simple batido free of added sugars! 

instructions: 

For all of the below ingredient lists, just put everything into your blender and blend on high until smooth! I have a high powered vitamix blender, so if you ever run into a problem with the mixture being too thick for your blender, just add a splash more milk! 

These are written to make a hefty serving for one, but you can increase the amounts as you please to serve more! You'll also notice that most of these recipes are pretty darn simple, which is why I stopped at 4 versions. That said, you should definitely experiment with your favorite fruits! Some other awesome batidos would include: blackberry, mango, passionfruit, raspberry, apricot, the list is endless! 

ingredients: 

Banana Batido (An Ecuadorian Classic): 

1 banana (fresh or frozen) 

2/3 cup whole milk 

1/2 tsp vanilla 

note: bananas are so sweet, they               really don't need any added sugar

Blueberry Batido: 

1 cup frozen blueberries 

3/4 cup whole milk  

1 Tbsp sugar (optional) 

---

Cherry Vanilla Batido: 

1 cup frozen or fresh sweet cherries 

3/4 cup whole milk 

1/2 tsp vanilla 

note: you could use frozen tart cherries for this, which are easier to find pre-frozen, but you would need to add a heafty amount of sugar to the mix to sweeten it ! 

Strawberry Batido: 

1 cup frozen strawberries (piled high, especially if the berries are large) 

3/4 cup whole milk 

1/2 tsp vanilla

note: this is one of my favorites, as it is so reminiscent of a strawberry milkshake! Strawberries vary a lot in their sweetness, so do add a bit of sugar if your berries are on the tart side! 

traditional irish coffee

this recipe is a long time family favorite and is usually made around the holidays at my parents house each year, with family and friends all together. you see, my mother came to the states (actually to santa monica, california) from ireland when she was 11 years old. she's always had plenty of family in ireland, so there were many trips to visit as children. when we got old enough, my brother and i even applied for dual citizenship. i love and cherish my irish heritage to say the least. 

so i can say for sure, this is the real deal irish coffee (please note, there is no bailey's). i've changed the measurement for the sake of clarity, but irish coffee is made at my parents' home with "just a thimbleful" of irish whiskey. an old silver shot-glass sized thimble that is, which we take out of it's little leather case each time we make this drink. 

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i know i'm a little late on the season for special irish drinks (and honestly, a good irish coffee is best in the depths of winter)... that said, i couldn't help but share this family favorite. make yourself one on a cold rainy spring afternoon then remember the joy for next winter. 

ingredients (for each serving): 

 about 6oz coffee (i could write a whole blog about my feelings towards different types of coffee, but just be sure to use a decent quality coffee bean and make it fresh and strong) 

1oz good irish whiskey (or a little more, if you like!) 

1 Tbsp brown sugar (use a little less if you aren't into sweet coffee) 

a few tablespoons of heavy whipping cream 

directions: 

first, a note on the glasses to be used. while you can make your irish coffee in a mug, i highly recommend making it in wine glasses. it look like a fancy guinness and makes the whole experience much more fun! 

start by making the coffee you'll need for the number of servings you're making 

meanwhile, you'll want to lightly whip the cream with a whisk or electric mixer. be careful though, you don't want to over-whip it! the cream is ready when it starts to thicken and will form peaks that fall immediately. most importantly, you should still be able to pour it. (a little trick: if you over-whip it, just add a little cream and stir it in!) 

now, you just have to put the drinks together! start by placing a small metal spoon in each glass (really, this isn't a joke. it'll absorb the heat of the coffee and prevent your glasses from breaking). 

pour the coffee and sugar into the glasses and stir gently until the sugar dissolves. be sure you leave room for the whiskey and cream! 

add about one shot of whiskey to each glass (i'll be honest, i don't measure at my house) and give it a quick stir. 

finally, the cream! to make it easy, you'll want it in something you can easily pour from -- a bowl with a spout or a liquid measuring cup. you can also use a larger spoon to slowly pour the cream. hold the small spoon from each cup upside down over the coffee and pour the cream so it falls gently over the spoon and rests on top of the coffee. create a half inch or thicker layer of cream. 

enjoy!