Moscow Idaho Mule & Gazpacho Cocktail with Candied Bacon
Mocktails are popular these days. Both of these drinks have a lot of punch without the alcohol. With leftover Gazpacho from my recipe trial period, I made large ice cubes. You can prepare the Gazpacho Cocktail in advance of your guests arrival using the Gazpacho cubes, and they will remain chilled. At the Teaching Kitchen, we were fortunate to have a family member of the famed Berryhill Bacon (used as a garnish along with the pickled green beans).
The Moscow, Idaho Mule idea came to me when I was surveying the contents of my refrigerator. I had a jar of Huckleberry Jam and decided to add a few teaspoons to a traditional Moscow Mule. It was so good that I ordered Huckleberry Syrup off Amazon. For the non-Idahoans reading, huckleberries are native to the Pacific Northwest (yes, Idaho is in the Pacific Northwest).
MOSCOW IDAHO MULE Serves 1
QUANTITY AND INGREDIENTS
1 lime, freshly juiced
generous sprig of mint
2 tsp Huckleberry jam or syrup
6.8 ounces ginger beer, preferably Fever Tree
lime wedge, for garnish
mint leaves, for garnish
small ice cubes or crushed ice
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Moscow Mule copper cups (optional)
muddler tool
PREPARE YOUR MIS EN PLACE
1. Read and reread the recipe.
2. Gather all your ingredients and necessary equipment.
CULINARY TIPS
1. Make and serve using the same cup. This allows you to customize the cocktail.
2. This is essentially a virgin Moscow Mule. To take it up a notch, add vodka, 1 part vodka to 3 parts Moscow Mule mixture, more or less as desired.
3. Copper cups keep drinks colder for longer, making them popular for serving Moscow Mules.
PREPARE THE MOSCOW MULE
1. To the serving cup, add the juiced lime and mint. Muddle to allow the essential oils of the mint to infuse the lime juice.
2. Add the huckleberry jam or syrup and mix thoroughly.
3. Add ice, and then vodka if using.
4. Top with ginger beer. Give a stir.
5. Garnish with lime wedge and mint as desired.
GAZPACHO COCKTAIL WITH CANDIED BACON Serves 8
Tweaked from CIA Healthy Kitchen Cookbook(approximately 36 ounces)
QUANTITY AND INGREDIENTS
32 fl oz good quality tomato juice (such as Knudsen)
4 oz English cucumber, roughly chopped
3 chopped green onion (scallions), roughly chopped
1/4 C freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp hot sauce or Sriracha
¼ tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp celery salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Crushed ice, as needed
candied bacon strips, for garnish (optional, used for class)
pickled green beans (optional, used for class)
fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
freshly ground pepper, for garnish (optional)
lemon wedge, for garnish (optional)
PREPARE YOUR MIS EN PLACE
1. Read and reread the recipe.
2. Gather all your ingredients and necessary equipment.
CULINARY TIPS
1. Since the tomato juice is the center of this recipe, insure that you buy excellent quality.
2. Don’t spend a lot of time prepping your ingredients since they are going into the blender. Just a rough chop is fine.
3. This is essentially a virgin Bloody Mary. To take it up a notch, add vodka, 1 part vodka to 3 parts Bloody Mary mixture, more or less as desired.
4. For simple candied bacon, I refer you to the website, https://www.spendwithpennies.com/candied-bacon/. Alternatively, you can buy Berryhill Bacon. You will find it at Boise’s Saturday market and on-line at berryhillbacon.com.
PREPARE THE GAZPACHO COCKTAIL
1. Combine all of the ingredients (except the ice and bacon) in a blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Transfer to a serving pitcher and refrigerate.
3. When ready to serve, pour over ice, and garnish with bacon strips.
