Stay Rad

If you watched the last episode of Stay Rad Wine Blog TV, you know that I’ve been straying from wine a bit over the last couple of days.

Look…

I love wine.

Love it.

But sometimes my palate begs for something different.

Lately, I’ve been craving Bloody Marys.

Known the world over as being the ultimate hangover cure, I’ve always loved the flavor profile of this tomatoey treat.  If you’re lazy, you could just buy the mix… But it is so much more fun to create your own version.

So now I present to you…

The Merry Solomon!

There is nothing like a Merry Solomon when football is on the boob tube.

Here’s what you need…

2 cups of tomato juice

1/2 cup of pickle juice

1 juicy lemon

1 glug of worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon of crushed garlic

1 tablespoon of horseradish

1 dash of sea salt

1 dash of cracked black pepper

1 rib of celery

1 dill pickle

A grip of garlic stuffed olives

Oh yeah…

And there’s vodka too.

Here’s what you do…

In a large pitcher, mix together the tomato juice and pickle juice.  Squeeze in the juice of the lemon.  Add in one glug of worcestershire sauce, along with the crushed garlic and horseradish.  Stir it up, and add the salt and pepper to taste.

In a tall glass, place one trimmed rib of celery, then fill halfway with ice.  Drop in the pickle and a grip of olives.  Pour in as much vodka as you would like, but please be responsible (Let it be known that the Merry Solomon tastes great without the alcohol).  Fill to the top with the tomato mixture.

Enjoy.

Repeat.

I love me some Bloody Marys.  It’s a great combination of sweet tomato juice, savory spices, and that dope, acidic, pickley kick.

The best part of the Merry Solomon is that it’s a drink that you get to eat.

That being said, it never hurts to serve it with some hors d’oeuvres…

Quick and easy crostini... The menorah is optional.

Kara and I picked up some pre-made tapenades and some sour dough bread at Trader Joe’s.

I drizzled some extra virgin olive oil over the sour dough, and toasted them in the oven for 5 minutes on a pizza stone.  When time was up, I spread the tapenade on each of the slices, grated some asiago over the top, and threw them (violently) back in the oven for another 3 minutes.

From left to right, red pepper, artichoke, and olive crostini. Add a few pre-made spanakopita for kicks. The vase with decorative balls, as always, is optional.

Oh man…

Just thinking about the flavors of this food, along with the Merry Solomon, makes me want one thing…

Wine!

Stay Rad,

Jeff