Seasonal Ontario Food

I found this recipe in Great Grandmother's Recipe Book, (page 26) published in England in 1900. The implication is that it is a considerably older recipe. Oddly enough, this is probably the only rhubarb soup recipe I've ever seen in an old cookbook. It caught my eye because we have a big thriving patch of rhubarb and I wanted to use some without having to add sugar.

The soup was really quite tasty, I thought. It's definitely sour! I'm not sure I would have been able to identify it as rhubarb if I hadn't known that it was, even though the soup turned out to be a pretty shade of rhubarb pink. I used the reddest stalks I could find, most of which were red right through. If they are green in the centre I'm sure the colour will not turn out so well.

The recipe called for a small piece of ham. Old recipes seem quite convinced that all soup must taste of meat. I didn't have any, and I was serving this with pork chops, so ham seemed redundant anyway. You could try putting in a little if you liked, but it was fine without it. More unusually for an old recipe, it called for seasoning with Cayenne. I decided to just use a generous amount of black pepper, but I think Cayenne might have balanced out the sourness of the soup better. As usual, I changed the recipe a fair bit, but I think it still gives the feeling of the original. They did serve it with croutons, and if you had some I think they could be quite nice. This is a starter soup though, best in quite small portions to introduce another course. I wouldn't try to serve it as the basis of a meal

4 to 6 servings
30 minutes prep time


3 cups finely diced red rhubarb stems
1 small onion, preferably red
1 small carrot
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper OR ground Cayenne chile to taste
3 cups unsalted chicken OR vegetable stock
2 teaspoons arrowroot or corn starch

Wash, trim, and dice the rhubarb. Peel and dice the onion. Peel and finely dice or grate the carrot.

Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the rhubarb, onion, and carrot and cook, cover on, for about 10 minutes, until very soft. Stir occasionally. Season with the salt and pepper.

Add 2 cups of the stock - holding back 1 cup - and simmer for a few minutes, then transfer it all to a blender or food processor and blend until very smooth. Return it to the soup pot. Mix the starch into the remaining cold stock, and use it to swish out the blender before pouring it into the soup. Simmer until the soup thickens; just a few minutes. Serve at once.

It looks like crumbles are the ideal dessert for someone who really should be keeping the sugar down.  After some internal debate, I am listing the amount of sugar I actually used. This is not a very sweet dessert, though, and you could use more sugar if you wanted. I would think up to 50% more would not be unreasonable. However, I found the level of sugar to be fine - you do adjust.

This was our entire harvest of currants and gooseberries for the year, augmented with a few black-caps and red raspberries. The old bushes are slowly being smothered out and the new bushes have not really taken off yet.

I would make this in the spring, with rhubarb or with haskaps, as being fruit (or "fruit") of a similar level of tartness. 

6 to 8 servings
1 hour 30 minutes - 45 minutes prep time


Prepare Berries: 
3 cups mixed tart berries

Pick over the berries, removing any leaves, stems, etc. Rinse and drain well.

Make Crumb Topping:
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Sucanat OR dark brown sugar
2/3 cup cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup buttermilk

Mix the oats, spelt flour, salt, and Sucanat in a large mixing bowl. Grate in the butter and rub it in until distributed throughout. Dribble the buttermilk over it and work it in until the mixture forms coarse, damp crumbs.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Make Cheese Filling:
250 grams (1 cup) soft cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk

Cream the cream cheese in a mixing bowl with the sugar, then beat in the eggs and salt. Beat in the buttermilk.

Put about 60% of the crumbs into an 8" x 10" baking (lasagne) pan and press them loosely into an even layer. Pour the cream cheese filling over them. Sprinkle the berries evenly over the filling. Sprinkle the remaining filling evenly over the top.

Bake the crumble for 40 to 45 minutes, until lightly browned and firm when pressed gently. Serve warm or cool.




Last year at this time I made Tsukune (Chicken Patties) with Yakitori Sauce.

We had some company over for dinner recently, which meant I had an excuse to break out some dessert. And when it comes to dessert there's little I like better than fruit and custard. Right now, the "fruit" is rhubarb.

On the whole this was a successful dessert, and well-received. However, I used duck eggs to make it, and I have to say this is the third time I have tried using duck eggs to make meringue and have not been impressed with the results. They have a lower water content than chicken egg whites, apparently, and they seem to end up dense and tough no matter how well-beaten they are. Also, I cooked them a bit too long. A minute to poach the "îles" seems far too short, but so it was - my last ones were definitely better than the earlier ones.

Traditionally they are also poached in milk, but I am far too cheap to do that. I can't see that water didn't work just fine, my duck problems notwithstanding.

6 to 8 servings
1 hour prep time


Make the Custard:
1 cup milk
1 cup 10% cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk the milk, cream, salt, and egg yolks in the top of a double boiler until smooth - set the egg whites aside in a mixing bowl; you will need them later. Whisk in the maple syrup. Heat over simmering water, whisking frequently, until the mixture begins to thicken. At that point, whisk it constantly until it thickens. This is a fairly thin custard, and once it has thickened noticeably, it will thicken no more, so be careful not to overcook it. Pour it into a shallow serving dish or divide it amongst individual serving dishes.

Stew the Rhubarb:
2 cups chopped rhubarb stems
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon arrowroot or tapioca starch
1 tablespoon sherry

Clean and chop the rhubarb, and put it in a pot with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well to dissolve the starch before you begin to heat it. Heat it gently, stirring constantly, until it begins to simmer. Cover and simmer until the rhubarb softens and disintegrates, stirring frequently.

When it is done spoon it gently and evenly over the cooled custard.

Poach the Meringue:
4 large egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
a pinch of salt

Put a large, shallow pot of water on to boil.

Beat the egg whites until foamy, then beat in the sugar and salt. Continue beating the egg whites until they are very stiff. Drop the meringue by large spoonfuls into the boiling water. Let boil for 1 minute on each side, then remove them with a slotted skimmer, draining them well. Arrange them over the custard and rhubarb. Keep chilled until ready to serve.




Last year at this time, by complete co-incidence, I made Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce on Ribs.

Yeah, this was made last year. I wanted to actually try it before I posted it, which meant waiting until rhubarb season was pretty much over. Can report; it was lovely but I guess I won't be making it this year.

I regard it mostly as a flavouring for club soda, but you could drizzle a little over ice-cream or panna cotta. Plain yogurt, even. This amount of ginger is pretty gingery; you could use as little as half if you prefer less bite.

6 250-ml jars
45 minutes prep time
2 to 12 hours straining time
1 1/2 hours to can


8 cups diced rhubarb
2 cups sliced fresh ginger
5 cups water
1 cup sugar

Wash, trim, and chop the rhubarb and put it in a large canning kettle or similar pot. Wash the ginger well, but there is no need to peel it. Cut it in thin slices and add it to the rhubarb. Add the water. Bring to a boil, and boil gently for 15 minutes ore so, until the rhubarb disintegrates. Stir regularly. Cover and let cool.

Pour the mixture into a clean large jelly bag (I use a clean old pillow case and rig it up to strain into a pot for 2 to 12 hours. I hasten the process by squeezing it. Squeeze it as much as possible. I also strained it into a pot with a strainer insert, which meant I could put a weight on it. In short, extract as much liquid from the mixture as you can.

When ready to proceed, put the jars to be filled into a canner and cover with water to at least an inch above the rims. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Put the lids and rims into a smaller pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Boil one minute then remove from the heat until needed.

At the same time, bring the strained liquid up to a boil and add the sugar. Boil for a few minutes, until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Fill the sterilized jars with the rhubarb-ginger syrup. Wipe the rims with a piece of paper towel dipped in the boiling water. Seal with the prepared lids and rims, and replace them in the canner of boiling water.  Boil for 10 minutes. Remove, let cool, check seals. Label and date the jars, and keep them in a cold dark place until wanted.





Last year at this time I made this. Oh, all right - and also Stir-Fried Lamb with Asparagus.

The rhubarb has risen up and is at its prime, so the question also arose: what to do with it? It would go well in a barbecue sauce, I thought, and sure enough when I searched there are lots of recipes out there. Most of them suffered from my usual complaint about vegetable-flavoured sweet things: too much sweetener and not enough of, in this case, the rhubarb. Well I fixed that! There is still a lot of sweetener, by my books, but that rhubarb is awfully tart, it has to be admitted. All the better to sing and dance with the rather rich and fatty pork.

I would also give this a try with chicken. Whole legs or thighs sound like the best idea. They would need to be cooked for much less time, of course - probably not much over an hour.

4 to 6 servings
2 1/2 to3 hours - 30 minutes prep


Make the Sauce:
2 cups finely diced rhubarb stalks
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
3 or 4 pods green cardamom

Wash, trim, and dice the rhubarb. Put it in a pot with the vinegar and salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer gently until the rhubarb disintegrates; 5 to 10 minutes. Stir frequently.

Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the ketchup, mustard, and honey. Finely grate the ginger and add it. Crush the cardamom pods and discard the husks. Grind the remaining seeds finely and mix them in.

Cook the Ribs:
1 to 1.5 kilos (2 to 3 pounds) fresh pork ribs

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

If you like, cut the ribs into sections of 2 to 4 ribs. Brush them with the sauce and lay them in a single layer in a shallow baking (lasagne) pan. Bake them for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the ribs are done to your liking. You may wish to turn the ribs and brush them with more sauce half way through the cooking time. Keep the sauce in the fridge and discard any not used, especially if you think there is any chance you have gotten any juice etc into it from the ribs.

Let the ribs rest for 10 minutes before serving.


 

Last year at this time I made Buttermilk Buckwheat Waffles. 

Haskaps aren't quite ripe yet - I made this last year. Given that they have about a two-week season though, you should be ready for them when they are ready. 

Given the proportion of rhubarb to haskap that I used, I expected this to taste much more rhubarby. It's there in the background but that mysterious unidentifiable haskap flavour predominates. Quite delicious, in fact.

I like this best mixed with club soda and drunk cold, but I mixed some with some hot tea and that was surprisingly good.

This was made with drinks in mind; it's a little thin for pouring over ice cream, yogurt, etc. but if you don't mind it being thin that would certainly be tasty.

6 x 250 ml
30 minutes initial prep
overnight to strain
about 2 hours to can


8 cups diced rhubarb stems
2 to 3 cups haskap berries
4 cups water
1 cup sugar

Wash and trim the rhubarb, and cut it into dice. Wash and pick over the haskap berries. Put both into a pot with the water, and bring to a boil. Simmer steadily for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Put the mixture in a jelly bag or clean old pillowcase (now in use solely as a jelly bag) and suspend it over a pot - it can sit in a strainer as long as the strainer will not touch the liquid in the pot. Strain overnight. You can squeeze the bag to get as much liquid out as possible.

Put the jars to be filled into a canner and cover with water to an inch above their tops. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. As the water approaches the boil, put the fruit liquid into a kettle and add the sugar. Bring it up to a boil and boil for about 5 minutes. You should also have the lids and rims in a pan of water, and boil them for 1 minute.

Remove the jars to a clean board, tipping half the water in them back into the canner of boiling water. Fill the jars with the hot syrup. Wipe the rims carefully with a piece of paper towel dipped in the boiling water, then put the rims and lids on and finger tighten. Place the jars back in the canner and boil for 10 minutes.

Either let the jars cool in the canner, or remove them 5 or 10 minutes after being removed from the heat and let them cool on the clean board. Check the seals. Store in a cool, dark spot. Keep refrigerated once open.

To use, mix with cold or boiling water, club soda, or tea in the proportion of 1/3 to 1/2 syrup to other liquid. Should keep, unopened and properly stored, for 1 year.




Last year at this time I made Rhubarb-Almond Crisp.

Fruit crisps are so simple to make but such very satisfactory desserts. This one is particularly nice, with almonds and sherry. (If you don't want to use sherry, use some fruit juice instead but I have to say sherry and rhubarb really go together beautifully.)

We all agreed that this would have been amazing with some vanilla ice cream, but we managed to choke it down without it. It was a bit on the zingy side - I used the half cup of sugar in the rhubarb but if you prefer things a little sweeter you could add a bit more. I also didn't put in the minute tapioca and found it just a tad on the juicy side. I think it would help to add a bit, but if you don't have it, don't worry about it.

I think this topping would be lovely on other fruits too: apricots, peaches, plums, cherries, well yes all the stone fruits really, pears, blueberries... yes, okay; almonds go with most fruits. Note too that if you get the right oats this could be gluten free, if that matters to you.

6 to 8 servings
1 hour - 30 minutes prep time
plus a little time to cool


Make the Topping:
1/2 cup Sucanat or very dark brown sugar
1 cup ground almonds
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup chopped or sliced almonds

Mix the first 4 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the butter, which should be soft enough to work easily, and cut it into the mixture until it reduced to the size of small peas or smaller. At some point I tend to use my fingers to work it in; also sprinkle over the almond extract and work that in too. Mix in the chopped or sliced almonds.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Finish the Crisp:
6 cups sliced rhubarb
1/2 to 2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup sherry OR apple cider OR orange juice
1 teaspoon minute tapioca

Wash, trim, and slice the rhubarb. Put it in a shallow 8" x 10" baking pan. Toss it with the sugar, sherry, and tapioca. Spread the topping evenly over it.

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until the rhubarb is tender, the mixture is bubbling steadily around the edge, and the topping is lightly browned.




Last year at this time I made Leeks & Asparagus.

Very rich! Very delicious! In spite of being a rather homely bread pudding, this is really something for a special occasion. It's basically bread pudding with gobs of cheesecake in it. It's also kind of big, and easily could be cut in half for a smaller special occasion. 

I did bake mine in 2 pans, because I made one half with rhubarb and the other half with (frozen) raspberries, as Mr. Ferdzy loathes rhubarb. I haven't had a chance to try the raspberry version myself yet, but the noises I was getting were very enthusiastic. The puddings took 50 minutes to bake; the full recipe in one pan will take just a little longer. To make 8 cups of bread cubes, by the way, you will require pretty much a whole loaf of bread. You can trim off the crusts or not, as you like; however you should pick up your loaf of bread from the day-old rack.

Makes 12 servings
1 1/2 hours - 1/2 hour prep time


Cook the Rhubarb & Prepare the Cheese:
4 cups sliced rhubarb
1 cup sugar
2 cups mascarpone or other soft cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Wash, trim and slice the rhubarb. Put it in a pot with the 1 cup of sugar and simmer until the rhubarb is cooked and at least partially falling apart. Let cool.

Mix the remaining sugar and vanilla extract into the mascarpone or cream cheese.

Make the Pudding:
4 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons sherry
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 cups of cubed stale bread
1 tablespoon butter

Whisk the eggs, sugar, milk, sherry, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Cut the bread into about 1" cubes. Use the butter to grease an 8" x 10" baking pan.

Put half the bread cubes into the pan and spread them out evenly. Dot the cream cheese mixture around by spoonfuls, evenly spaced. Set aside about 1 cup of the stewed rhubarb to use later as a sauce, and drizzle the remaining rhubarb over the bread and cream cheese. Spread the remaining bread cubes evenly over the top. Ladle the egg and milk mixture over the pudding, making sure to soak all the bread cubes.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Put the pudding on a baking tray with sides, and put it in the oven. Pour enough water into the tray to fill it about half an inch deep. Bake for 1 hour.

Serve warm or cool with the extra stewed rhubarb as a sauce.

No, I don't have rhubarb in my garden yet! Most years I would be able to scrounge enough to make this by now, but it's been so cold everything is behind. But there should be some forced rhubarb out there, and if you are in a warmer spot than I'm in, there should be some garden rhubarb too. If not, very soon! But I have to admit; as usual, rhubarb season is coming up and I still have bags of it in the freezer. Well there goes one of them, anyway.

I had it with a piece of broiled salmon which was very good, but it would also go with quite a number of simple cooked meats, or with cheese - maybe in a sandwich or macaroni and cheese, for instance. 

4 servings


1 cup diced rhubarb
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 clove of garlic
1 medium shallot
1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
2 pods green cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon coriander seed

Trim, wash, and chop the rhubarb. Put it in a pot with the honey and vinegar. Grate in the ginger and peeled garlic clove. Peel and chop the shallot, and add it to the pot. Add the cranberries or raisins. Crush the cardamom pods, remove the papery green husk, then grind the remaining seeds with the cumin and coriander. Add them to the pot.

Bring the pot up to the boil, stirring constantly. Reduce it to a simmer, and simmer until the rhubarb has softened and mostly fallen apart, and the mixture thickens; about 15 minutes. Stir frequently.

Let the chutney cool and serve with chicken, fish, pork, cheese dishes, or whatever else you think would suit it.




Last year at this time I made One Pot Creamed Spinach with Mushrooms.

Rhhhuuuubarb! It's just starting up, so it's not a bad idea to stretch it out with something else. Dried figs provide sweetness and a complementary flavour.

Like rhubarb, figs are a sufficiently high-fibre food that this recipe should perhaps be thought of in terms of dosages rather than servings. I ate most of this for breakfast over a week, with plain yogurt. Very good.  

8 to 12 servings
30 minutes prep time


3 cups chopped rhubarb stems
200 grams dried figs
2 cups water
a stick of cinnamon (2 to 3inches)
1/4 cup honey

Wash, trim, and chop the rhubarb. Trim the stems from the figs and cut them into 3 or 4 pieces each. Put the figs in a pot with the water and cinnamon, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 or 10 minutes until softened, then add the rhubarb and honey. Continue to simmer for another 5 or 10 minutes, until the rhubarb is cooked and the figs quite soft. Stir frequently. 




Last year at this time I made Oyster Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce. 

It seems like the change from the dregs of the last year to the start of the next season happens in a twinkling. We are now picking rhubarb, asparagus, spinach, lettuce, green onions, chives, and sorrel from the garden. Or would be, if we had any time.

Dad has been a time-absorbing guest. He has a cowbell to summon aid, and it sounds at all hours of the night and day. Between his physical pain and his mental and emotional turmoil, we are all utterly exhausted. I'm typing this up as a Red Cross worker is here to help with his personal care. They come in for 20 minutes to half an hour twice a day, and they have seriously saved my sanity. On Tuesday morning he will go into the local nursing home and we look forward to being able to deal with other things in our lives - even his other disasters - and to visiting him as a pleasure again and not as a never-ending chore.

Meanwhile, this was a quick and easy dessert to make. The texture was more soft and pudding-like than jelly-like, but none the worse for that. Orange juice goes very well with rhubarb, sweetening and mellowing it.

6 servings
20 minutes prep time; 2 hours (at least) set time



4 cups diced raw rhubarb
1 cup orange juice
3/4 cup sugar
another 1/2 cup orange juice
4 teaspoons granulated gelatine

Wash and trim the rhubarb, and cut it into short pieces. Put it in a large pot with 1 cup orange juice and the sugar. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the rhubarb disintegrates. Stir regularly.

Meanwhile, put the remaining orange juice into a quart bowl or mold. Sprinkle the gelatine evenly over it.

When the rhubarb is sufficiently cooked, remove the pan from the heat. Slowly stir the contents of the pot into the soaked gelatine in the bowl or jelly mold. Stir well to ensure the gelatine is completely dissolved.

Let the mixture cool slightly, then place it in the fridge until it is completely set; at least 2 hours, although overnight is best. Serve from the bowl, or unmold the gelatine by dipping the mold briefly into warm water to the brim (but don't get the jelly wet!) then flipping it onto a plate.




Last year at this time I made Carrot Soup with Dill & Chives, and The Strata of Montecristo.

I was quite pleased with how these turned out. I was afraid I was putting in a lot of rhubarb, but it was really quite subtle, and did not overwhelm the spices which then played their part very well. I did find that I had to bake them longer than expected - mine took the full 30 minutes - but I used frozen rhubarb and was not careful about draining it well. I expect the amount of liquid in the rhubarb could make quite a difference in how long it takes to bake them, so check them at the 20 minute mark and take it from there. 

12 muffins
45 minutes - 15 minutes prep time


Mix the Dry Ingredients:
2 cups soft whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
8 pods green cardamom, ground

Measure the ingredients into a small mixing bowl. When you get to the cardamom, crush the pods, remove the green papery hulls, then grind the remaining seed finely before adding it to the bowl.

Mix all the ingredients lightly and set aside. 

Mix the Wet Ingredients, and Finish:
2 cups grated carrots (2 medium-large)
2 cups finely chopped rhubarb
1/4 cup mild vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with paper muffin cups. 

Peel and grate the carrots and put them in a larger mixing bowl. Add the rhubarb, making sure it has been well drained first. Add the oil and honey, and break in the eggs. Mix well.

Add the dry ingredients, and mix. As they are absorbed and the batter gets dry, add the milk. Mix until well blended, but no longer. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan.

Bake the muffins for 20 to 30 minutes, until firm and lightly browned.

Obviously, this is inspired by various more-or-less Chinese dishes that combine chicken with fruit, such as pineapple, or lemon sauce. Why not rhubarb? Well, why not!? It's very good, as a matter of fact.

I used frozen rhubarb from my garden, but there is local forced rhubarb out there now, if you can track it down. I used nice bright red pieces, and was a bit dismayed to find that they really didn't keep their colour. That was the only disappointment with this dish though; it tasted as good as I had hoped.

2 to 3 servings
45 minutes prep time


Make the Sauce:
2 to 3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2/3 cup water or unsalted chicken stock
2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch

Mix the hoisin with the honey in a small bowl, then mix in the soy sauce. Once the honey is well dissolved, mix in the water or stock a bit at a time until it is all incorporated. Mix in the arrowroot or cornstarch. Set aside until needed.

Make the Chicken with Rhubarb:
500 grams (1 pound) skinless, boneless chicken pieces
6 to 7 stalks of rhubarb
2 medium onions
1" x 1" x 2" piece ginger
4 to 6 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and set it aside. Clean the cutting board, then trim and chop the rhubarb into bite-sized pieces. Peel the onions, and slice them into similar sized wedges. Peel and mince the ginger. Peel and mince the garlic.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken pieces, and sauté them until they are seared on all sides, and about half cooked. Add the onions and rhubarb, and cook until softened and slightly browned, turning and stirring contantly. Add the ginger and garlic, and continue cooking for another minute or two, until very fragrant and well mixed in.

Pour the sauce into the pan, and mix it in through the other ingredients thoroughly. Once it has thickened and the mixture has simmered for a minute or two, it is ready to serve.

We're not selling any rhubarb this year, so we are awash in it. I'm eating it regularly stewed, and also freezing it for the winter. But every so often I feel the need to get a little fancier with it. How about trifle?

I didn't have any whipping cream, and I didn't particularly want to have any whipping cream, but trifle generally has whipping cream. On the other hand, I figured once I made the custard I'd have leftover egg whites, so meringue supplies that note of fluffiness instead.

I made this in a pie plate, because it was convenient. The meringue also makes it look more pie-like than most trifles, but use a spoon to serve it and to eat it - it's far too gloopy to actually be pie.

6 to 8 servings
1 hour prep time - allow time to cool


Stew the Rhubarb:
3 cups chopped rhubarb
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Wash, trim and chop the rhubarb, and put it in a pot with the sugar and water. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring frequently, until the rhubarb has completely disintegrated. Set aside to cool. This can be made up to a day ahead, and stored, covered, in the fridge.

Make the Custard:
1/4 cup sugar
a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons arrowroot, cornstarch OR flour
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups rich milk or light cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Put an inch or so of water in the bottom of a double boiler, and get it started. Whisk together the sugar, salt, arrowroot (or etcetera), and egg yolks. Whisk the milk or cream in slowly, a little at a time to make a smooth, lump-free mixture. Put it in top of the simmering water, and whisk  until thickened.

Remove the top of the double boiler from the heat at once, and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract. Let cool for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Make the Meringue:
3 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup sugar

Whisk the eggs until frothy with the cream of tartar, adding the sugar slowly, then  beat them until very stiff.


Assemble the Trifle:
200 grams (1/2 pound) ladyfingers, sponge cake OR angel food cake
1/4 cup sherry OR rum

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Slice or cube the cake and arrange the pieces in the bottom of a large pie dish (10") or 2 quart (litre) glass bowl, or individual serving bowls for that matter. (However, they MUST be oven-proof - they are going in there; that's why you turned it on.) Sprinkle them with the sherry or rum.

Spread the stewed rhubarb over the cake pieces as evenly as you can. Poke the cake pieces with a fork, to  help them absorb the juice. Slowly pour or spoon the custard over the rhubarb, again spreading it as evenly as possible.

Gently scoop the meringue onto the top of the trifle, using a spatula to spread it evenly over the trifle, and arranging it in artistic peaks and swirls assuming it is willing to co-operate. When the oven is hot, but the trifle in, and bake for 6 to 8 minutes until the meringue is nicely browned. Remove and let cool before serving.

Meringue does not refrigerate particularly well, but if the trifle is not all eaten on the first occasion upon which it is served, into the refrigerator it must go. Better soggy meringue than food poisoning.

And if you don't want a Mousse Pie, you can just put it in a bowl or bowls, and call it Mousse. Either way, this is a nice tart-but-not-too-tart rhubarb dessert.  I do like mousses etc, that are set with a firm meringue rather than whipped cream - so much lighter. The egg yolks do give it some more substance and help tone down the sourness of the rhubarb. Very nice!

8 servings
30 minutes prep time - add 3 hours for cooling and setting


Make the Crust:
2 cups (200 grams) graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

Crush the crackers to fine crumbs. Melt the butter. If you are using a glass pie plate, the butter can be put right into the plate and melted in the microwave. Add the crumbs to the butter and mix well, until there are no dry crumbs left. Press them against the edges and bottom of the pie plate to form a crust.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes. 

Make the Filling:
4 cups diced rhubarb
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons plain gelatine
1/4 cup cold water
3 large egg yolks
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar

Put the rhubarb and tablespoon of water into a pot, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the rhubarb is cooked and mostly disintegrated; about 15 minutes. Watch and stir carefully; this is a dry mix and until the rhubarb begins to cook and exude juice, it is at risk of scorching.

While it cooks, sprinkle the gelatine over the quarter cup of cold water in a small bowl. Let it soak until needed.

When the rhubarb is cooked, allow it cool for about 5 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl, and slowly mix in a bit of the cooled rhubarb. Then, beat the egg and rhubarb mixture into the pot of rhubarb. Return it to medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly,  until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat, and stir in the soaked gelatine until well dissolved. Set the rhubarb mixture aside to cool as  you proceed.

Put the egg whites with the cream of tartar and sugar in the top of a double boiler, and put onto a pot of simmering water. Beat the egg whites until they are very stiff and starting to set; about 5 minutes.

Immediately fold or briefly beat them into the rhubarb mixture until evenly mixed. Scrape the filling into the prepared pie crust and spread it out evenly. Chill the pie until set; at least 2 hours.




Last year at this time I made Broiled Rhubarb.

I managed to yank a few bits of rhubarb from the garden, but it's ridiculously premature. I hope I haven't damaged it... Ha! Ha!  It would have been better to have bought some - there should be forced rhubarb still around right now. And I keep telling myself, it won't be TOO long before these spring vegetables are ready.

The rhubarb is surprisingly subtle; it just adds a tart lemony quality to the dish. 

4 to 6 servings?
45 minutes prep time


6 stalks rhubarb
1 medium carrot
2 green onions OR 1 small onion
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil
1 tablespoon mild curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (about)
pepper to taste
1 cup red lentils
5 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Trim and chop the rhubarb. Peel and dice the carrot finely. Trim or peel the onion(s) and chop.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot, and cook the rhubarb, carrot and onion in it until soft and reduced in volume, about 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle over the curry powder, salt and pepper, and mix in. Mix in the lentils. Immediately add 5 cups of the chicken stock and stir well.

Cook the lentils for 25 to 30 minutes, until soft. Stir regularly, and add a bit more chicken stock if it seems to be getting too dry. The mixture should end up being soft but not too soupy.Adjust the seasonings to taste. Like most bean and lentil dishes, this is better the next day.




Last year at this time I made Celeriac Mash with Blue Cheese.

My rhubarb has gotten quite tough, thanks to the very high temperatures and lack of rain we have already had this spring. However, it is still suitable for this use.

Lemon balm is another plant left in the garden by the previous owners of our house. It's a mint relative, and as such is very easy to grow. On the other hand you rarely find it for sale, so if you can't find it replace it with a couple of herbal lemon teabags.

I used 1/4 cup of honey and thought it was sufficient, but it basically balanced out the sour rhubarb and did not make the punch noticeably sweet - you may wish to use a bit more.

Makes 2 litres (quarts)
6 to 24 hours and - 10 minutes prep time


500 grams (1 pound) rhubarb stalks
4 cups water
2 cups loosely packed lemon balm
4 cups boiling water
1/4 to 1/2 cup honey

Wash and trim the rhubarb, and cut it into chunks. Put it in a large pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until very soft. Let cool.

Meanwhile, bring the remaining 4 cups of water to a boil. Pour it over the lemon balm and cover. Let steep until cool. Remove and discard the lemon balm.

Strain the rhubarb very thoroughly, keeping the liquid and discarding the solids. Add the rhubarb extract to the lemon balm tea. Remove one cup of the punch, and mix it with the honey. Heat until the honey is dissolved, then stir it back into the punch. Chill until it is time to serve it.




Last year at this time I made Asparagus & Feta Tart. 

In terms of flavour, this produces results very much like basic stewed rhubarb; the advantage is that it holds together much better. This means it can be used in a more decorative fashion than stewed rhubarb. Here it is, across a simple vanilla pudding. Vanilla ice cream or custard would be just as good. French toast, waffles, or pancakes? For sure.

Allow 1 or 2 stalks per person
20 minutes - 10 minutes prep time


butter
1 or 2 stalks of rhubarb per serving
1 teaspoon sugar

Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to hold the rhubarb in a single layer and put it on a baking sheet. Butter the parchment paper fairly generously. Preheat the broiler.

Wash the rhubarb, and trim it, and cut it into pieces of whatever size you would like. Lay them on the buttered parchment, closely together (touching, en masse) but in a single layer. Sprinkle with the sugar. 

Broil the rhubarb for 5 to 8 minutes, until it is tender and the sugar has melted, perhaps caramelizing a bit in spots.

That's it; serve warm or cold.




Last year at this time I made Chicken & Asparagus Salad with Lemon, Chive & Mustard Dressing.

I have made this cake a couple of times this month and it has been a big hit. It's a little understated, yet somehow very luxurious. Beautiful fresh summer fruit helps!

I've made it with peaches, as shown, but I think it's even better with blueberries. It would work with apricots, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, pears, plums, or apples. Cranberries? I might toss them with a little sugar first, as I would rhubarb, but they would work too, I'm sure. Very versatile! Very yummy!

If you want to use soft whole wheat flour in this, you can. I used approximately half whole wheat flour and half unbleached flour. If you use whole wheat flour, you should add an extra tablespoon of it; level if you use half and rounded if you use all whole wheat.

8 to 10 servings
1 hour 45 minutes - 45 minutes prep time


Make the Streusel & Get Set Up:
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup Sucanat or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups diced peaches, blueberries or other fruit

Mix the flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Work in the softened butter until it forms coarse crumbs, and all the mixture looks moistened. I find it easiest to use my fingers to do this.

Line the bottom of an 8" springform pan with parchment paper, and butter the sides. Your fruit should be peeled and chopped, or washed and set to drain, or otherwise appropriately prepared before proceeding further. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Make the Cake:
1 3/4 cups soft unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Measure the flour and add the baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter in a medium mixing bowl, and work in the sugar. Beat in (by hand) the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Mix the flour into the butter mixture to form a stiff dough. Spoon the dough into the prepared pan, and scrape out the bowl with a spatula. Spread the dough, using the spatula, evenly over the bottom of the pan right to the sides.

Spread the prepared fruit evenly over the dough. It will seem like there is as much fruit as dough; that is correct. The dough will expand and the fruit will shrink, and all will be well in the cake world. Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the top of the cake.

Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes, until it testes done when poked with a toothpick, i.e. said toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before springing it from the pan and serving.




Last year at this time I made Summer Succotash.