This week is all about color-centric food I suppose, with a Red Salad, and now a Pink Sangria. Although, truth be told, color does seem to drive a lot of my recipe choices here…Give me the full rainbow. ♥
This particular recipe comes from a book I picked up at Charleston Cooks!, which should have also made it to my shopping hit list. The store is beautifully appointed and has one of the best selections of Le Creuset Soleil wares that I’ve ever come across. If you love all things yellow as much as I do, you’ll appreciate that! Because of that whole traveling/suitcase situation, I left the sunshiny stoneware behind, but I did pick up a “Strawberries” Short Stack. I had never heard of this company before, but immediately fell in love with their concept. Short Stacks are described as “concise, affordable, and built for function”, “love letters to a favorite ingredient in the form of thoroughly tested recipes designed with the home cook in mind”. Many of the editions are hand sewn “by participants of YAI, a network of agencies that helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities find work opportunities and receive job training.” Essentially, this is a purchase you can feel good about on all levels. And yes, I will be ordering more!
Now, for the food! I am excited to try every recipe – especially the Cold Soba Noodle Salad and the Strawberry Tart with Goat Cheese Filling – but I thought this sangria would be the perfect choice for the weekend. What I like about it is that it has no added sugar (Let’s face it, a lot of sangria recipes are sugar bombs!) and is enhanced with elderflower and bitter components instead. The recipe calls for Aperol, but I’ve tried it with Campari as well, and both work. The differences to note between the two are that Aperol is lighter from an alcoholic standpoint and has a sweeter flavor, while Campari has a much bolder, woodsier flavor. Pick your poison. : ) Because both apertifs are made with rhubarb, a fresh stalk seemed like the perfect stirrer choice!
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- 3½ cups strawberries, with tops removed, and chopped
- 2 limes, sliced
- 1 bottle chilled dry rosé wine
- 6-ounces St. Germain elderflower liqueur
- 2-ounces Aperol (Or try Campari is you want something a little less sweet!)
- Sparkling water, for serving
- Rhubarb, for garnish : )
- Place 2 cups of the sliced strawberries in large pitcher.
- Puree the remaining strawberries in a food processor or blender (I added a little bit of the rosé here to move things along!). Add the puree to the strawberries in the pitcher.
- Add the lime slices, wine, St. Germain, and Aperol to the pitcher. Stir to combine. Chill in the refrigerator for approximately 1 hour (or more).
- To serve: fill glasses with ice, add sangria with fruit, and top with a splash of sparkling water. Add your rhubarb stirrer if desired : ), and serve.
