Spring is no longer here, but I made my way to the first farmer’s market anyway. I wore a mid-weight coat and gloves, but I brought home quite the spring bounty anyway. Stinging nettles, fingerling potatoes, Italian dandelion greens, mint, and rhubarb filled my bag before I quickly jumped on a bus to get out of the cold.
I have never used rhubarb before, but I had a drink in mind when I brought my fresh stalks home. I just made this up as I went along, but it turned out great.
Rhubarb, Lemon, Mint Cooler
1 pound rhubarb
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
2 sprigs mint
1/2 cup natural cane sugar
5 cups water
vodka
sparkling wine
In a pot, simmer all the ingredients together for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat, strain out the solids, then let the liquid cool.
To mix a cocktail, fill a glass 1/4 full of vodka, 1/4 full of sparkling wine, then top with the rhubarb simple syrup. Garnish with mint leaves. For a non-alcoholic version, you can mix half and half simple syrup and club soda.
Wanderlust & Food Stuff 
Sounds good. I have a bit of rhubarb in the garden and always looking for new ways to use it. Thanks We have quite a bit of nettle, but I am not adventurous enough to use it.
Shirley – I will have to post whatever I do with the nettles! I find it funny that I will pay $3 for a bunch now when there was so much growing up.
Yum! Rhubarb. And Vodka! Fabulous.