So, I am learning to listen more... And, I am listening to you!
Yesterday, I ran a poll on Instagram about how much people really like rhubarb and I received an overwhelming 75% who were super enthusiastic about it! So, I figured, there must be something to the craze after all. Maybe, it is the super short season, or, maybe it is that it is the first harbinger of warmth, or, perhaps, people really do like the tart-sweet flavor and fibrous texture that is rhubarb. Either way, you asked and I deliver...
I have put together a few recipes I have made to delight with the stalk, taking little a long way in most cases. And, at the bottom is a new recipe for Rhubarb Compound Butter that makes a divine spread for toasts and fillings for fruit yogurts and parfaits!
Happy 'barb-ing ... rhubarb and bbq ;-)!
It is one of the easiest cakes I have ever made and adapted from a Sainbury's recipe to go wheat free. Almond and rhubarb pair like long lost cousins reunited. The nutty almond stoking the tart flavors of rhubarb before they both collapse in their mutual sweet merriment.
Glutenfree Sponge with Yogurt and Rhubarb-Strawberry Compote
The real glory of this composition is the light cake made moist with strained yogurt frosting and the pile of berries and mint on top. The cake is inspired by Alice Medrich's oat flour cake recipe and for one that uses four eggs to a cup of flour is surprisingly light and fluffy.
These are scrumptious! Light enough for summer and just subtly sweet allowing the flavors of the sage and rhubarb come through neatly.
Picked at the peak of the season, this compote needs no added sugar and suffices to be sweet and delightful from the natural sugars in the berries balanced with the mild tartness of ripe red rhubarb. If your fruit is a bit under-ripe or early season, you can add a touch of sugar. Make in bulk in season and store in the fridge. They last for several weeks stored in a sealed jar.
Rhubarb Compound Butter
Compound butters are a gastronomic rage. Rooted in French classic cuisine, they are well known for adding a depth of flavor of dishes. Often, when they are referred to, it is in conjunction with meats and seared ones at that. Yet, there is no reason to isolate them to either special meats or even restaurant meals. They are very easy to make and can elevate even a humble toast with a dash of more than plain butter. In return, all it asks for is good butter to begin with. While, the best is make your own, not all of us have the time or inclination. I recommend finding the best you can afford and using that here.
Rhubarb Butter
This rhubarb butter is a savory sweet play. Choose
the reddest rhubarb stalks you can find. The redder
they are, the sweeter they will be and more vibrant
the butter as well. Greener stalks tend to turn to
brown when cooked.
1 stalk of rhubarb, as red as you can get, diced
1/2 cup butter, fresh as you can get, cold
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp vinegar
In a small pan, cook the rhubarb with sugar and vinegar until soft. Cool to just warm. At this point, the rhubarb will mash on its own.
In a processor, add the butter, salt and cooked rhubarb and pulse to blend.
Scrape onto a lidded jar and refrigerate.
It lasts a fair while stored airtight in the fridge.