Drink & a nosh: Rhubarb martini, and roasted garlic-chive dip

It's the time of year where rhubarb creeps into everything. This recipe calls for Yorkshire rhubarb, but not being from, or anywhere near Yorkshire, that's clearly not an option. But nice spring Minnesota rhubarb seems to work just fine. You definitely have to plan ahead for this recipe.

Rhubarb martini

Adapted from “Cooking for Friends” by Terry Edwards and George Craig

Ingredients

1½ pounds rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces

¼ cup Grenadine

1 cup sugar

1¼ cup water

2½ cups vodka

Egg whites (1/2 an egg white per serving, so about 5 egg whites overall)

Method

Combine rhubarb, Grenadine, sugar, water and vodka in a 2-quart container. Cover tightly and let steep for at least four days, shaking vigorously once a day.

Drain through a fine sieve. Chill liquid. (I saved the rhubarb to make a crisp; I just added a bit less sugar than usual and didn’t bake it quite as long.)

Combine 3 ounces chilled rhubarb vodka with half an egg white in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Rating: Delightful. I had been somewhat doubtful about whether the egg white was necessary, but it made it a wonderfully frothy pink confection. The rhubarb definitely comes through, with a nice balance between tart and sweet. It makes enough for roughly 10, so it’s a good crowd cocktail, especially since it’s not super high alcohol, being by definition watered-down vodka. Definitely worth making an annual spring ritual.

I tried a glass without the egg white; it's less frothy fun, but the flavors are more intense. I'd say it works either way, so if for some reason you can't have eggs, it still works.

 Garlic and chive dip
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Everyday Food, April 2010

Ingredients
½ cup roasted garlic
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup sour cream
Up to 3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
Fresh veggies for dipping

Method
Puree roasted garlic in a food processor. Add yogurt and sour cream and blend. Add milk as needed to reach desired consistency; I found I only needed ½ tablespoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in 3 tablespoons chives. Garnish with more chopped chives and serve with veggies to dip.

Rating: Fine enough. Very light texture. The roasted garlic isn't overwhelming. My first take was that the recipe was worth trying, at any rate, but perhaps not repeating, at least without some slight doctoring to punch up the flavor somehow. But when I had some more later, the flavors had time to blend more. I'd suggest making this one ahead for best results.

Play along: “When You Wish Upon a Star” by Bill Frisell, available streaming for Amazon Prime members.