Dreamy Rhubarb Lemon Mocktail

Not only is this drink for birthdays, but show-stopping weddings and delicious picnics. Therefore I wanted to make something sweet enough with a tart edge, tempting and modifiable. This mocktail gets its body from gutsy rhubarb, fresh lemon, and it will smear your tastebuds with the mystical lingering finish of cinnamon. What I love about it is the hue of orangy pink that glows in the glass when pierced by the sun, like a real summer dream.

Ingredients

• fresh rhubarb
• sugar
• water
• organic lemons
• cinnamon stick

A pro tip: You’ll get better results when you pour your love into it. Trust me on this one. This drink is a potential love potion, and in case you have someone special in mind.

Pour summer into your glass and rejoice!

Hello, summer! Finally, the lilacs are blossoming, and the days are getting hot even here in The North. We are skinny dipping, cooking outdoors, and sunbathing at every opportunity. There is a chance that the water temperatures are still keeping the experience crisp and refreshing, but nothing prevents a Finn from jumping into the lake during midsummer.

As the whole country is preparing to celebrate the nightless night this coming weekend, I am raising a toast for the Sultry Vegan blog. One year ago today, I launched this site, and here I still am passionately expressing my food philosophy! Hurray for creativity, hurray for all the people for support, and the plant food revolution! Thank you for this past year, and I am excited to see what lies ahead for us. I have a feeling that it has something to do with sound and video, camping, and outdoor cooking. Stay tuned, and I will let you know as soon as I get the family production running!

We can agree that it has been a hell of a year, luckily we are halfway through! It’s a curious thing with challenges, there is always the bonus track, the silver lining, and now it truly is time to focus on the things that make life worth living. The achievements and breakthroughs, trials, and tribulations are all worth celebrating. A year ago, I was brave enough to say, the heck with this postponing my dreams crap and published my blog. It was fascinating and uncomfortable at the same time as I had put the site together with my own hands, which was quite a ride with no previous experience. With support from my loved ones combined with an immense drive, I had the guts to show up for me. And I am glad I did, are you building something that tickles your fancy?

Now, I am looking back to all the things I have learned in such a short time, and it feels astonishing. Sometimes I genuinely think we dont give ourselves enough credit for what we create! The little steps and leaps of faith are always taking us forward, and if you genuinely intend to forge something, there is no way around it, but must go straight through. The things that sprout from our creativity come somewhere deeper and are pushed forward with just that tiny whisper of your calling, the essence of the like that looks like you. It sometimes is the hardest voice to hear. I salute you all, surviving or thriving. This showstopper drink is for you; electrical orangy pink rhubarb lemon concoction with a taste of the best summer ever.

Rhubarb, the vegetable

In Finnish, we call this giant plant Raparperi that commonly grown here in Finland as it thrives in cold weather. Something good in the colder climate, right? Rhubarb is one of my favorites because of its unique texture, intense tartness, and exquisite color! Are you aware of the fact that rhubarb is a perennial vegetable, a weed, originated from Central Asia? Take into account that only the stalks are edible. Compost the roots and leaves as they are poisonous. Unpeeled rhubarb stalks are brilliant when used in sweet desserts, preserves, and juices. And as it is the first plant to be harvested, it represents the beginning of summer to me.

Many of the things we love are traces from childhood, and food memories run deep. My mother made a delicious soup of strawberries and rhubarb when we were kids. Simply delightful, and it takes me right back down the memory lane with only a spoonful. This rhubarb juice is also an old recipe that my mom uses. With a little creativity, it’ll fill the boots of a fancy, eye-candy of a toast at a wedding, a vibrant punch on a birthday batch, and a sophisticated drink on a romantic dinner at the summer place! Kids approve it too, its all gone when served with some frozen strawberries and bubbly water.

Juice in the making

I have a few tricks for you to savor the charisma of this pink nectar; Freeze it into ice cubes and drop a few edible flowers in them to make it pop even more. I love to add herbs into my glass, as it is a very rustic and relaxed way of making a mocktail look chic! Breckland thyme, Wild thyme, Thymus serpyllum, simply put in Finnish: Kangasajuruoho is my favorite. It tastes like thyme but way cooler cause it is called “wild.” I like it wild. I suggest you also try Lemon Balm, Melissa Officinalis, in Finnish Sitruunamelissa. It is classy and widely used in syrups and desserts. And to be honest, this juice is so gorgeous it does stand on its own.

In case you want to spice it up a little with alcohol, I would dash it with some bitters, club soda, and the purest of gin. For a non-alcoholic version, pour in some sparkling water and frozen berries, and you are good to go!

This nectar is taste tested by the fuzzy judges of the plant world! “Yummy”, buzzed a Bumble Bee and moved along.

Impress the Party

This recipe prep is so simple you can do it while entertaining your friends. Or while taking a weekend trip somewhere pleasant. Because, after the prep, there is nothing to do with it. Perfect summer recipe, isn’t it? The most challenging part of the method is to chop the rhubarb into small chunks and slice the lovely lemons. For the juice, you’ll need a huge pot, the capacity of 7 liters minimum. Wash rhubarb stalks and organic lemons carefully before starting. Layer the rhubarb and lemon slices into the pan. Boil 4 liters of water in another dish, and add the sugar and stir. Pour the hot sugary water on top of the rhubarb and lemon and add one cinnamon stick. Cover the liquid with a lid and leave it to room temperature for 48 hours. I decided to keep it longer than overnight because I wanted the flavors to intensify. I snatched the cinnamon stick out of the soup after twelve hours, but feel free to leave it in if the cinnamon kick is favored.

When the time is right, sieve the juice before bottling it up and move into the refrigerator or store in a root cellar. Save the softened and marinated rhubarb pieces for later use. If you are not sure what to do with the leftover rhubarb to avoid food waste, I have an idea for you. I baked a pie that takes ten minutes to prep before the 30 minutes of baking time. I have a recipe that I adore, maybe you have tried it by now, its the cinnamon apple pie. I made one pie version with the rhubarb that I used making the juice, and it was just the perfect amount to fill the baking tray. The infused pieces of rhubarb are softer and sweeter, so in case you want more tartness in your pie, add some fresh slices of rhubarb stalk to the mix. I replaced the cinnamon with two teaspoons of vanilla sugar, and it worked perfectly! You may as well serve the drink and pie together to amplify the layers of flavor. This summer in a bottle will delight your surprise guests and highlight moments with your favorite romance novel or a zombie splash. Both are equally valid options to dive in to in your hammock.

I wish you all a fabulous, hot, and relaxing summer, induced with self-love, flavor, and a lot of nothing to do-time. Stay present!

Love, Emilia

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