Archive for May, 2009
Rhubarb Fest: Sorbet
It’s been interesting, picking recipes for this Rhubarb Fest. There’s bushel loads of recipes for strawberry rhubarb this and strawberry rhubarb that. The rhubarb always seems to be thrown in just because, well, maybe people were getting tired of just plain strawberry or they were a little intimidated with rhubarb standing on its own ruby red feet, er, stalks. Do you know what I mean?
Truth be told, while I really do love those juicy berries, if I had to pick between having rhubarb or strawberries for a summer, I’d pick the rhubarb. It’s no doubt in large part for the memories it drums up of my grandmother’s big old patch in her garden, though there were plenty of strawberries in that garden too. I also really enjoy the tart ting and pink blush rhubarb brings to every dish it enters. But not everyone does, as demonstrated by D’s latest remark, something along the lines of it tasting medicinal.
But wait! Lest you stop reading right there, let me assure you that this Spiced Rhubarb Sorbet is the best kind of medicine – delicious, mysteriously creamy (though not a drop of cream went into it), low in fat, and the perfect pick-me-up after one has spent a hot morning power washing the deck, among other things. Don’t let the Pepto-Bismol pink put you off. That’s where the resemblance to medicine ends, I promise.
The notes of the spices play delicately and quietly next to the powerful crescendo of rhubarb in every bite. This is not a sorbet for the rhubarb skeptic, that’s for sure. I personally can’t stop eating it; the taste and texture are just downright addictive. But, should you be not quite the Number One Fan of rhubarb (sorry, that coveted titled is already taken by yours truly anyway), I’m absolutely certain substituting strawberries for half of the rhubarb and cutting back the sugar to just a cup would yield a seriously scrumptious sorbet too.
Let the Festivities Begin!
Guess what? Today the blog turns TWO! Part of me feels like this blog has been with me forever while the other part of me can’t believe it’s been two whole years already! I adore writing and photographing for these delicious posts, and I can’t thank you all enough for coming around to indulge my creative fantasies. In honor of this special occasion, I’m launching Rhubarb Fest here on the blog — an outright barrage of recipes for one of my favorite ingredients of all time and a beautiful one to boot!
We’ll start off the pink-infused festivities and the third year of SFTF with this delightful recipe for Candied Rhubarb and Kumquats, which are basically Part II of the Chocolate Pavlova recipe in the last post. Now, while the rhubarb is most definitely a local and very seasonal ingredient, you may be bulking at the idea of kumquats showing up here on SFTF. While this dainty citrus is indeed often an import, I gleaned mine from a lovely group of trees grown indoors where I work. I have also recently acquired a baby kumquat tree of my very own and hope it will put on fruit by next year. These trees, which remain rather small and bear the fruit that reminds me of sour gummy worms, are very easy to grow as glorified houseplants that take their summer vacation out on the patio or deck. I’d encourage you to look into getting one if you like citrus but wish you didn’t have to buy it in from far away.
Back to the star of the show though. This rhubarb is part of a bunch I got at the Headhouse Farmers Market. Stored wrapped in an ever so slightly damp paper towel in a sealed ziplock bag, rhubarb will keep for a week or two, maybe even more, in the fridge. It makes for wonderful warm sauces, jams, compotes, cakes, pies, “fools”, muffins, and even savory toppings for chicken. This candied version is one of my favorite preparations to date.
Chocolate Pavlova
The evenings are getting long again with warm breezes and a sun that seems to have incredible staying power even though it hangs so heavily, winking at the horizon. With summer twilights come a distinctive food memory for me and the predictable craving that follows. There’s something about pavlova with seasonal fruit that is intrinsically tied to summer in my mind. What’s that? You’ve never hear of pavlova? My, my, my, you are in for one amazing treat, especially with this unique twist of Chocolate Pavlova (with Candied Kumquats and Rhubarb).
I hope it’s not too pretentious to quote myself, but I really want to tell this story again since there are so many more of you reading now than when I first wrote it:
“I first came across fresh fruit pavlova while living in Belfast, Northern Ireland. I can remember everything about the scene of my first bite – it was that delightful. A crisp shell of a meringue with a melt-y middle topped with ever-so-slightly sweet fresh whipped cream and (for that first encounter) kiwis and blueberries spilling off the plate. If ever the heavens should point a sunbeam directly on my head and issue forth an angelic chorus, it should have been at the moment of my first bite in that roadside Irish inn.
Since then, I’ve learned this dessert really hails from New Zealand and was named after a Russian ballerina so I think it classifies as an international dish even though there’s nothing regionally distinctive in its flavors. Don’t be intimidated by the length of the recipe directions. It really is just a lot of mixing and that’s all. These little puffs of marshmallow-y delight are well worth the 20 minutes of shouting required to be heard over the mixer.”
Summer’s Nearly Here
Ah, what a glorious day it was here in southeastern Pennsylvania. How about where you are? I spent all evening in my garden until the darkness nudged me to finally go inside. And now I’ve just remembered that I didn’t share with you my latest travel photos from Puerto Rico. I hope that no one minds when I put up a post of photos unrelated to food. I know you all come here mostly for the food. But pretty pictures are worth a visit too, right? Enjoy and dream of lazy days beside the pool or on the beach. They’re nearly here!
Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention my favorite gastronomic experience in Puerto Rico: the coffee! What amazing cups I had from several of the local grower’s beans. Intense flavor and notes of spice and vanilla, but absolutely no bitter after taste. Maybe that after taste comes from all the fumes when it gets shipped hundreds of miles away… nah, but there is surely a difference between coffee gathered just an hour away and that which comes to us in an airplane.
Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Oh non, je suis désolé, mes chéris! This post was meant to go up automatically while I was traveling this past week to Puerto Rico. But apparently there was some sort of ”technical difficulty” and here it is, several days late and perhaps nearing the end of that most wonderful time of spring: asparagus season! I hope that you are still able to get plenty of these delectable green shoots where you are. And of course there will be some photos shortly of my brief visit to sunny San Juan that will remind us all that summer is just around the corner.
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Ah, asparagus season! It’s here in full force and I snapped up several bunches of these delicious green spears at last week’s Headhouse Market where the tables were already beginning to fill out with all manner of greens, herbs, asparagus, rhubarb, fennel, and even some apples that had been stored through the winter in a cool barn cellar. And of course, my favorite bakery and cheese vendors were back once more, and I made sure to show my appreciation by buying much more than I should have since I won’t be home much this week (I’m traveling south to Puerto Rico for a professional development opportunity).
But back to the asparagus, my favorite of all spring time ephemeral foods. I grew up with plenty of asparagus at the ready in both my backyard and the roadside bed across from my grandmother’s house. I never was one of those kids that pinched my nose and said “pee-yew!” when mom brought over the asparagus platter to the dinner table. I loved it from the start and I loved picking it – going out each morning to see if there were new shoots the right size for the taking. Asparagus can grow very quickly this time of year, literally overnight.
I never realized what a treat I had on my hands back then. Fresh picked asparagus is leaps and bounds better than anything you’ll ever get in the store. Even the stuff that’s at the farmers market, if it’s been picked a few days in advance, is already starting to toughen up and loose its sugars. I usually ask the farmer when it was picked before buying and then I try to make sure I use up the asparagus within a day or two to get maximum flavor. As such, I made it a point to put together this Roasted Asparagus Risotto before leaving town.
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