National Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Day

Here at ChopChop, we celebrate healthy and delicious food everyday.  We love when there’s even more reason to celebrate, with a wacky, fun food holiday.  June has many food holidays and ChopChop will be celebrating all month long.  We’ll be giving you ideas on ways to celebrate with us and of course, some recipes to try with your family! 

June 9 is National Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Day.  Our Strawberry-Rhubarb Spritzer is a healthier way to get the sweet and tart flavors. Plus, the spritzer gives the flavors of strawberry and rhubarb in a drink form, which makes is especially perfect for a hot June day.

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB SPRITZER

Here’s a zippy pink cool-off that will refresh you completely! Rhubarb is a late-springtime vegetable that many people use more like a fruit. The flavor is quite tart, so it’s always sweetened and often paired with other fruits, especially strawberries, to make desserts like pies and crisps. If you can’t find fresh rhubarb at your store, look for it in the freezer section near the frozen berries. 

HANDS-ON TIME: 15 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR, 30 MINUTES

MAKES: 6 SERVINGS

KITCHEN GEAR: 

Sharp knife (adult needed)
Cutting board
Vegetable peeler
Measuring cup
Medium-sized pot
Wooden spoon
Medium mesh strainer
Small bowl
Measuring spoons
6 tall glasses

INGREDIENTS

1   strip of zest from 1 orange (if you like)

1⁄2  cinnamon stick (if you like)

1⁄4 pound rhubarb (about 2 small stalks), trimmed, leaves discarded, and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

1 cup sliced fresh or thawed frozen strawberries (about 1/2 pint)

1⁄4 cup honey

 pinch salt (A “pinch” is the small amount you can pinch between your finger and thumb)

2⁄3 cups water  

Sparkling water (also called “seltzer”), chilled

ice cubes

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash your hands with soap and water, then gather all your kitchen gear and ingredients and put them on a clean counter.

1.     If you’re going to use the orange zest, wash the orange well and use a vegetable peeler to remove a long strip of the orange part of the peel.

2.     Put the rhubarb, strawberries, honey, salt, water, and orange zest and/or cinnamon stick, if you’re using it, in the pot.

3.     Put the pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil (you’ll see lots of bubbles around the inside edges of the pot) and stir to dissolve the honey.

4.     Turn the heat down to low and simmer (“Simmer” means to cook at a very gentle boil), stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb and berries become totally mushy, about 8 minutes. Set the mixture aside and let it cool to room temperature. Throw away the orange peel and/or cinnamon stick.

5.     Set the strainer over the bowl and pour the rhubarb mixture into the strainer. Stir the rhubarb with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to help it go through the holes. (You should end up with 3/4 cup of rhubarb puree; the leftover pulp in the strainer is delicious mixed with some yogurt, or you can compost it.)

6.     Divide the puree evenly among the 6 glasses. Top each with 1 cup sparkling water and stir gently. Add ice cubes and serve. 

http://www.chopchopmag.org/content/strawberry-rhubarb-spritzer