Friday, June 2, 2023

TAMING RHUBARB

 

                                                Taming Rhubarb

 Rhubarb is one of those early spring miracles in Maine that still has a bad reputation in some circles. Even those of us who happily munched on a plain rhubarb stalk fresh from the garden as children and never minded its very sour taste, seem to have developed adult palates requiring some taming of this aggressive taste.

Although rhubarb is used as a fruit in a variety of deserts, it is actually a perennial vegetable. The leaves are poisonous with high levels of oxalic acid, but the stems are edible and used in compotes, crumbles, sauces, cakes and pies. It is welcomed in spring when fresh produce is scarce from the garden and many recipes pair it with strawberries for both color and taste. Rhubarb is low in calories but requires quite a bit of brown or white sugar to tame its excess tart flavor.

          The quickest rhubarb desert is a cooked fruit compote thickened with cornstarch, chilled and served with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

          Scandinavian rhubarb compote

Trim, wash 1 lb. rhubarb and cut the stalks in ½ inch pieces. Combine with 1 cup water and ¾ cups sugar in a medium, bring to boil and simmer about 10 minutes until soft. Combine 2 ½ tblsp. cornstarch with water to make a paste and stir into the rhubarb. Continue to cook with constant stirring until thickened and clear. Chill, serve in glass dishes with sweetened whipped cream.

Rhubarb pairs well with sour cream or even yoghurt in delicious coffee cakes, whether you layer rhubarb on top, or mix the chopped pieces with the batter.

                   Rhubarb rum-custard cake

Pink colored rhubarb stalks are best for the appearance of this cake, which is baked in a spring form pan.

Trim, wash ¾ lb. rhubarb and cut the stalks in 2-inch pieces. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, ¾ tsp. baking powder and ½ tsp. salt. In a medium-large bowl beat 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk and 1 ½ cups sugar until pale and thick. Beat in 4 tblsp. melted unsalted butter, ¼ cup sour cream, finely grated zest from 1 lemon and 2 tblsp. dark rum (optional). Fold in the flour mixture thoroughly and turn into the prepared pan. Smooth the surface of the cake and gently distribute the rhubarb to cover the surface. Sprinkle with sugar and bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes until the cake tests done by inserted toothpick. Cool for 10 minutes, rim the sides with a thin knife and remove the sides from the springform pan.

Rhubarb-dried cherry pie is a perennial favorite at our house this time of the year, but last week made me admit that clichés such as “necessity is the mother of invention” are a cook’s best friend.  There were only two cups of cut up rhubarb left, I was out of dried cherries and ready to make a pie. The result was a rhubarb-mixed fruit cream pie, based on an old original recipe of “Rhubarb cream pie” from my friend Elizabeth Lenz.  The results were incredibly tasty, and the combination of ingredients is bound to become a new favorite.


                                           Rhubarb cream pie with mixed fruit

Have ready pastry for a 2 crust 9-inch pie. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl mix 1 ¼ cups sugar, 3 tblsp. flour and ½ tsp. nutmeg. In a large bowl toss together, 2 cups rhubarb stalks sliced in ½ inch pieces, ¾ cup diced dried apricots, ¼ cup diced candied ginger, 1 peeled, cored diced medium apple and 1 tsp. grated lemon zest.

Roll out pastry dough and fit it in the bottom of the pie plate. Sprinkle ¼ of the sugar-flour mix over the pastry dough and spread the mixed fruit on top.  Beat 2 large eggs in a bowl with the remaining sugar-flour mix and spread all on top of the fruit. Dot with 1 tblsp. butter. Roll out the remaining pastry, cut in strips and make a lattice top for the pie, crimping edges to seal.

Brush the top of the pie with cream and bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees. Turn down the oven to 350 degrees and continue to bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Cool and enjoy a rhubarb pie, tamed to interesting new delicious blend of flavors.

   (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

 

 

 

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