As I mentioned in this post, we hosted a small brunch a few Sundays ago, and our drink of choice was a zesty bloody Mary. We always like to welcome our guests with a “drink of the day”, and the Barefoot Contessa’s bloody Mary seemed like the perfect choice for a crisp fall week-end morning. The beverage was a perfect companion to the rest of our menu. I mixed a large pitcher full of bloody Marys the night before so the flavors had a chance to blend, and I did not add alcohol to it. That made it easy for anyone who didn’t want alcohol to still enjoy a virgin version of the drink. I just added a shot glass of vodka to each drink when I served them up. In addition to the fact that this is a very tasty beverage, the big plus is that the prep can be done the day or night before so there’s one less thing to do when you are busy with last minute tasks.
Before I go on, we mentioned in yesterday’s post that we won’t be publishing a blog every day. However, we will try to put something on Instagram regularly. You can sign up to follow us here. And FYI – Jordan put a photo of her new house on Instagram yesterday.
ZESTY BLOODY MARYS
(source – Barefoot Contessa)
3 large celery stalks, plus additional stalks for serving
3 teaspoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons grated yellow onion
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon Tabasco, or to taste
1 (46 ounce) can tomato juice
2 cups vodka (can be added by shots to individual drinks)
Cut the celery in large dice, including the leaves, and puree in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the horseradish, onion, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, kosher salt, and Tabasco and puree it again. Pour the tomato juice into a 2½-quart container, stir in the celery and seasonings mixture, then add the vodka and chill. (Vodka can be added later.) Place a few ice cubes in each glass, pour in the Bloody Mary mixture, and garnish. (I used olives and sweet pickles.)
This has been a fun week here on the blog. I’m excited because Jordan got home from her exotic vacation on Sunday. She will tell you all about it. Meanwhile, we will see you here tomorrow for the Saturday Selections. Thanks so much for making this all possible.
