The Weekly Nightcap - Strawberry-Rhubarb Martini

the weekly nightcap has been on a bit of a hiatus the past two weeks. one weekend, i was drinking champagne at N's wedding and last weekend was spent staying out of our house while we had showings and an open house to try and sell our house.

tonight it's girls night and i can't wait to have L and E (not hubs E, friend E) try these strawberry-rhubarb martinis. the inspiration for this drink came from Aida. she posted a recipe for a spring revival - a mix of strawberry, rhubarb, champagne, and cointreau. while you all know i love me some sparkly, i had to make this into a martini.

this martini tastes like a breezy, late spring evening. after all the rain we have had, it was nice to see the sun today and taste spring. it has sweetness from the fresh, local strawberries, tart from the rhubarb, and smoothness from the vodka.

this could be one of my best drink concoctions yet. try this while strawberries and in season and at their juiciest and most flavorful!

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Strawberry-Rhubarb Martini
serves 2

3 oz strawberry-rhubarb puree (recipe follows)
4 oz vodka

shake ingredients together and pour into 2 martini glasses.

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Strawberry-Rhubarb Puree
makes 3-4 cups

1 quart fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
1 lb rhubarb, washed, leaves removed, and chopped (about 5 large stalks)
juice of 1 large orange
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup agave
1/4 cup sugar

in a large saucepan, stir together chopped rhubarb, orange juice, lemon juice, agave, and sugar. bring to a boil over medium heat. reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. add strawberries and bring back to a boil. simmer 10-15 more minutes until starwberries have begun to breakdown.

remove from heat and let cool. puree mixture in food processor until smooth. store in airtight container in fridge. (can be made up to 4 days in advance).