Mother nature is turning up the heat and humidity in the Midwest, making it feel downright tropical at times. We answered the call this week by brewing up some rhubarb and ginger symple syrup, throwing it together with some rum and sitting back to enjoy the sun and temps.

This will not be the first time I have mentioned this, and probably not the last…

I do love the Midwest and the changing of seasons, but there is a spark of not wanting to deal with winter that grows each year and maybe some of this southern warmth that we love will call us south some day. There is a reason that ‘snow birds’ is a legitimate description referring to people in Minnesota during the winter – there is a population that flocks south. Who knows? Maybe someday that will be us.

Until then, I’m going to enjoy outdoor warm every moment I can – no matter how sticky and fiery it may be. This includes the other Sunday having people over to enjoy homemade pizzas from our newer portable pizza oven (more about that in different posts to come).

The challenge was to use up some of the great produce from the CSA that we have received before it’s truly end of life. The star of the beginning and end of the meal was rhubarb – it was featured in the cocktail and the dessert and it shined both places.

Full disclosure – this cocktail wasn’t ‘rhubarb foreward’, but more so ‘rhubarb supporting’ in a fun summertime, or life at a Carribean beach or Vegas pool, kind of way. Many quotes of ‘Bring me the rum!’ with a pirates drawl where spoken, as we sat outside and ice cubes melted almost as fast as you poured the drinks.

An enjoyable evening of cocktails, pizza, swimming to cool off, and finishing with a rhubarb galette for dessert. Oh wait folks, it’s a school night – how late where we up? Who cares – there was rum!

A few nights later to finish up the simple syrup, we reconstructed this drink with coconut rum. Pleasantly surprised at the transformative powers that those flavors have. I’m back at the pool in Vegas, or on a beach in Florida or Mexico, where the flavors of pineapple, lime, and rum reign – in this case, throw some ginger and rhubarb in the mix for a different spin on simple syrup and there is no doubt we will make this again. Hope you enjoy! I’m off to the store to get more rum.

Rhubarb Ginger Planters Punch

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 3/4 cup white rum
• 4 Tbls Rhubarb Ginger simple syrup (recipe below)
• 2 Tbls fresh squeezed lime juice
• Fresh mint, for garnish

Preparation:

Combine pineapple juice, rum, simple syrup and lime juice in a small pitcher and stir to combine. Pour into rocks glasses over ice. Garnish with mint sprig.

Rhubarb Ginger Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

• 3 stalks rhubarb, diced
• 1″ x 2″ ginger root, chopped into cubes
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup water

Preparation:

Combine all four ingredients in a sauce pan over med-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, turn it down to simmer for about 20-30 mins, until the rhubarb is partially dissolved into the syrup.

Remove from heat and pass thru a mesh strainer and apply pressure for the vibrant pink syrup to drain out the bottom.

Happy Cocktailing!

*Recipe from First We Eat cookbook, with slight adjustment on portions.