Bloody Mary Bar – January 25, 2013

I know that the Mint Julep is the drink of the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs, but I’m just not a fan.  My drink at the races is a Bloody Mary.  It’s also great for a hangover brunch.  Not only that, you can feel good about getting lots of veggies with your drink.  So, New Years seemed the perfect time for a Bloody Mary bar.  And, a Bloody Mary bar seemed like a great opportunity to get out all those great pickles I made all summer.  Here is my favorite basic Bloody Mary Recipe.

 Bloody Mary

3 c. tomato juice

1 freshly squeezed lemon

2 freshly squeezed limes

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. prepared horseradish

1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1 tsp. celery seeds

¾ tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients except tomato juice until well blended.  Add to tomato juice and chill.  Pour 2 ounces vodka in each glass filled with ice cubes and pour Bloody Mary mix over.  Serve with a collection of veggies.  I used celery stalks plus homemade okra, carrot, cucumber and green bean pickles and store bought olives.

We had a great New Year’s Day sipping on these.  Later that week we also made two family favorites, Portuguese chicken and pizza.  We were left with lots of tomato products in the fridge – tomato juice, canned tomatoes, tomato paste and pizza sauce.  I decided to saute onions and garlic with Italian herbs in olive oil.  Then, I tossed in the tomato products and some red wine and cooked to the right consistency.  It was great with left over homemade pasta from my brother in law.

One Year Ago - Black-Eyed Peas and Black-Eyed Pea Salad