I visited the farmers market this weekend, walking the block between my home and the market at top speed, trying unsuccessfully to stay warm in the whipping winter winds.  I love that so many of the farmers markets here in Philadelphia have decided to hold winter markets, most every other week instead of weekly and for just an hour or two so the farmers don’t turn completely into icicles.  Being able to still buy local sweet potatoes, onions, broccoli, kale, and apples directly from their growers is such a treat and a sure cure for the winter blues. 

I purchased eight large russet-hued ‘Winesap” and a few bicolor ‘Honeycrisp’  apples, having a hard time counting out my bills with my numb fingers.  I didn’t really have a plan for them at that moment, but given apples keep for quite some time, I thought I’d just store them until I had a grand idea.  Once I got home though, I realized I didn’t want to dream up a wild creative dish for them.  Instead, all I really wanted was a simple delicious traditional Apple Crisp. 

Surprisingly, I don’t make fruit crisps very often so I didn’t have a go-to recipe already.   So, after a quick online search, I came across the one below.  It seemed ridiculously easy, I already had all the ingredients in the pantry, and the recipe got great reviews.  Away I went, peeling apples and crumbling the topping.  Indeed it was easy and delicious.  This is a keeper, though this particular crisp is likely to be gone real soon…

CLASSIC APPLE CRISP
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Filling
10 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 cup water

Topping
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C).

Place the sliced apples in an ungreased 9×13 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all.

Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), uncovered, for about 45 minutes.

Entry #2 :: Foodbuzz.com “Project Food Blog” Contest

Challenge Prompt from Foodbuzz: Ready to tackle a classic dish from another culture? Pick an ethnic classic that is outside your comfort zone or are not as familiar with. You should include how you arrived at this decision in your post. Do your research then try to pull off successfully creating this challenge. Try to keep the dish as authentic as the real deal, and document your experience through a compelling post.

VOTE FOR ME HERE 

Even though I don’t speak the language and I’ve only traveled there once, I have an undying love {obsession} with the French lifestyle.  How can you not appreciate rich food, beautiful art, bright scooters, intrinsic romance, classic but flirty style, and an abundance of al fresco cafes?  When I visited the manageably sized city of Lyon for a dear ex-pat friend’s “hen night” weekend {the equivalent of a bachelorette party in the States} , I didn’t have any idea I was in for a fast and furious love affair with the city and French life.  I immediately gravitated to the eclectic street artists, the open-air produce market that lined the river bank, the lusciously verdant flower stands at nearly every turn, the delicious coffee and flavored sodas, the decadent brunch dishes, the pockets of parks and tiny enclaves, and the flirty but classic styles displayed in shop windows.  I sat on park benches and bistro chairs, letting the rush of energetic French conversation wash over me.  I couldn’t get enough. 

I have since determined that I am so in love with Lyon that I will someday retire there, at least in part, to live in a little walk-up flat with sun-filled tall windows and a cheerful mix of flea market finds for furniture.  I’ll go to the river’s edge market to buy baguettes and cheese and spend countless hours people watching at cafes.   I’ll take advantage of living on the Continent to travel to any of the remaining European countries I haven’t made it to by then.  It’ll be one long enjoyable holiday! 

In the meantime, I need to work on a few things to prepare for my Franco freedom.  Learning to speak French would seem like a wise step.  But, alas, I’m utterly pathetic at learning languages.  Really, I spent 10 years of school learning Spanish and can barely get past “como se yama?” any more.  I figure I’ll just learn by immersion when the time comes. 

I can, however, start to learn more about French cooking.  It is a cuisine that intimidates me, to be perfectly honest.  It seems so full of sauces and soufflés, all of which require a precise technique.  I decided to start with something more rustic and simple, a dish that embraced seasonal ingredients that would likely show up in that riverside market in autumn.  Figs are heavenly fall fruit and this “clafouti” couldn’t be easier.  I made mine with beautiful farm eggs from Red Haven Farm {isn’t their hand-decorated carton just too cute?}, which created a faultless custard base to amplify the figs’ natural sweetness.   The clafouti did puff up in the oven like a soufflé — so dramatic! — but it’s not meant to stay that way so I didn’t have to deal with the dread of watching it fall and feelings of failure.  This was the perfect introduction to classic French cooking! 

Now, perhaps the remaining nine eggs can be put towards a soufflé…  I think I’ll skip the frogs and snails however. 

VOTE FOR ME HERE 

French Fig Clafouti
Country Cooking of France

3 eggs 
1 cup milk
2 tsp. pure vanilla
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
Pinch salt
Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
20 or so fresh green or black figs cut in half lengthwise
butter to grease baking dish 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Crack eggs into a medium bowl. Beat with electric mixer until foamy. Add milk, vanilla, sifted flour, sugar and pinch of salt. Beat again until smooth.  Arrange figs artfully, cut side up, in buttered 9-inch ovenproof dish or pie plate. Pour batter carefully over figs. Place in hot oven and bake 40-45 minutes. Batter will rise up towards the end and turn golden when done.

Remove clafouti from oven and let stand 10 minutes. It will sink back down.  Serve with whipped cream if desired.

(serves 8 )

Entry #1 :: Foodbuzz.com “Project Food Blog” Contest

Challenge Prompt from Foodbuzz: For the very first Project Food Blog Challenge, we’re asking you to create a blog post that defines you as a food blogger and makes it clear why you think you have what it takes to be the next food blog star. Consider what makes your blog unique and sets you apart from other food blog brands: is it your foolproof recipes, your mouthwatering photos, or your perspective on family meals? Write a post that comes from the heart and is true to you and your blog.

VOTE FOR ME HERE 

Those who have been following SFTF for awhile surely know a bit about my background and the driving force behind this blog.  However, like any good reality TV show, the Project Food Blog contest opens up a whole new world to the players in the game.  If you’ve not dropped by SFTF before, welcome!  The message here is always simple: locally grown fresh produce is artfully delicious, and thus we are always “feasting on fresh” in the SFTF kitchen.

I grew up on a farm where we raised a great deal of our own food and only went to the grocery store to pick up flour, sugar and cleaning supplies.  It was a rich upbringing, one centered around eating seasonally and preserving the farm’s bounty, that remains ingrained in me.  My mother taught me to cook from a very young age.  Thanks to her good graces (happy birthday today, Mom!), I learned the blueprint of good cooking and rarely depend on cookbooks or online recipe libraries any more.   Instead, when I see a quart of oh-so-ripe figs at the farmers market and get to pick a cupful of autumn raspberries from a neighbor’s garden, I go home and immediately begin dreaming up the best use for them simply by considering their flavors and my mood.  I find I’m rarely disappointed and neither are SFTF readers. 

The posts on SFTF are meant to read like the beautifully illustrated pages of an art book.  Each photo is crafted with the intent to both make readers gasp a little and drool a lot.  My photography has evolved exponentially since the outset of this blog, but the purpose is still the same: to inspire others to make the recipe in the post.  Often we are intimidated by unfamiliar ingredients  {a classic case is the misunderstood kohlrabi }.  When I can capture an odd-ball fruit or vegetable’s inner beauty, I find many readers begin to be more daring with their own dinners. 

Unlike most other food blogs, SFTF combines artful photography, original recipes, and interesting pertinent tips together in one single pot, all of which is focused on sustainably and locally grown food straight from the farm!   Case and point?  Fresh Fig and Raspberry Stuffed French Toast…recipe after the jump.

VOTE FOR ME HERE 

Fresh Fig and Raspberry Stuffed French Toast
A Straight from the Farm Original

Fruit Filling

8-10 ripe fresh figs
1 C. fresh raspberries
2 t. wildflower honey
2 t. real maple syrup
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. freshly ground nutmeg

French Toast

6 thick slices of a rustic bread (I used a local bakery’s Italian sourdough)
3 eggs
1/3 C. milk
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves
real maple syrup
heavy cream
additional fruit for garnishing

Start by making the filling.  Rinse the fruit and pat dry with a towel.  Cut the figs into thin wedges.  Add the honey and maple syrup to a small saucepan and warm over medium heat until runny.  Add the figs and raspberries to the pan and toss gently to coat with the syrup.  Add the cinnamon and nutmeg and stir again. Keep an eye on the fruit and cook just until it is softening and hot, about 4-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside while you prepare the French toast.  (You can refrigerate the fruit filling overnight if you’d like; just be sure to gently warm it up again before using. )

To make the French toast, preheat the oven to 350F while you work.  Also set a large heavy skillet over medium heat and coat with butter or non-stick spray.   Whisk together the eggs and milk in a wide shallow bowl.  Add the spices and whisk again.  Using a fork, dip a slice of bread into the egg mixture.  Carefully turn and coat the other side.  Immediately place in the hot skillet and cook on one side until golden brown, about 3 minutes and then carefully flip to cook the other side until golden, about 2 minutes.   Repeat dipping and cooking process until all slices are done. 

Line a baking sheet with foil and place finished slices on the sheet until all your French toast is done.   Evenly divide the fruit filling to top three slices.  Place another slice on top of each to create a “sandwich”.  Press down gently and then place the now-stuffed French toast in the pre-heated oven for 8-10 minutes or until crisp and hot. 

While the French toast is baking, whip the heavy cream (sweeten with a little Splenda or superfine sugar if you’d like) and get your plates ready.  French toast is best served piping hot and topped with a large spoonful of whipped cream and extra berries. 

(serves 2-4)

Just in time for Labor Day, a perfect classic fruit cobbler recipe!

Somehow this summer has completely blown past me.  How did I displace the entire month of August?!  For that matter, what about July and June?  I guess this is just what happens when you launch your own business and handle every aspect of it yourself.  It’s been a fun summer though, full of beautiful flowers and new friendships with the lovely folks that buy them.   And since I now spend two days a week selling my blooms at farmers markets, I’ve been getting quite the assortment of fresh seasonal fruit from other farmers to bring home.   These guys have the best peaches.  And these guys have the most amazing Asian pears.  And these guys have to-die-for black berries. 

I’m still growing nearly all my own vegetables, but fruit, particularly anything growing on trees, is tough to manage in pots on the deck so I depend on getting to know a few key fruit growers to be sure I stay fully stocked with nature’s candy.  There have been two notable growing- fruit-in-a-pot successes this season though.   There were a half dozen of the most darling and delicious miniature melons.  Little Gem is an heirloom variety that was quite happy to climb up the lattice around our deck and dangle delicate melons from the vines without fear of them falling from their own weight.  The taste was sweet and superb. 

The other success story was the blueberries.  Last year I put a blueberry bush (‘Bluegold’) in a very large pot on the deck and crossed my fingers that it would make it through the winter in one piece.  Not only did it survive, it thrived!   I picked gobs of perfect blue orbs off it over the course of late June and July.  I had to protect the bush from marauding birds and squirrels by fitting it with a custom-made “shower cap” (row cover fleece with an elastic band sown around the bottom so I could put the fleece over the bush and secure it with the elastic around the pot).  

The berries went into my breakfast yogurt and pancakes mostly.   But I did save a pint of them specially to make a wonderful summer fruit cobbler.  This is just the perfect thing for a relaxing backyard get-together…perhaps you’re having one of those real soon for Labor Day.  It should be mandatory to serve it with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream, but I won’t go so far as to dictate your entire dessert menu.  Peaches are at their peak still, but local blue berries might be hard to find.  The recipe is really just a blueprint for a cobbler that will showcase any combination of fruits.  Just stroll through your local farmers market and pick out what looks the most tempting and juiciest.  You really can’t go wrong. 

Height of Summer Fruit Cobbler
A Straight from the Farm Original

Filling
2 T.  cornstarch
1/4 C. cold water
1 C. sugar
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. freshly grated nutmeg
1 vanilla bean, scraped
a pinch of ground ginger (optional)
1 C. fresh blackberries, rinsed and drained
1 C. diced fresh peaches (about 3  peaches)
1 C. fresh blueberries
1 C. diced fresh plum (about 4 plums)

Topping
1 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 C. white sugar, divided
1 t.  baking powder
1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 t.  salt
6 T. cold butter
1/4 C. boiling water

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and sit a baking dish (9×9 or 6 small ramekins) on top.
In a mixing bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in cold water. Whisk in 1 cup sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg, vanilla bean, and ground ginger.  Add the fruit and toss to coat evenly.  Transfer to heavy pot over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring regularly.

While the fruit cooks, make the topping.  In a medium bowl, mix the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Cut or rub in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in about a 1/4 cup boiling water just until mixture is evenly moist.

When the fruit is boiling steadily, take it off the stovetop and immediately (and carefully) transfer it to the baking dish on the tray.  Drop dough by spoonfuls onto the top of the fruit. Place cobble in the preheated oven and bake 25-30 minutes or until dough is golden brown.

While the cobbler is still warm, sprinkle the top with a little extra sugar to give it some crunch.  Serve with ice cream, whipped cream or just a drizzle of heavy cream. 

(serves 4-6)

Years after this post was originally put up on the blog, I’m still as smitten with this pillowy dessert as ever!  My own blueberry bush, growing in a five-gallon pot on my deck, produced a bumper crop this year.  I knew I needed to pull up this recipe from the archives and show it to you again.  In addition to the blueberries, a neighboring gardener gifted me with beautiful and sweet raspberries and blackberries. And of course the eggs are farm fresh from free range chickens.   Delicious!  

From the Archives  

There’s something magical about summer twilights.   And something even more magical about fresh blueberries on 4th of July celebration desserts.  I have many a fond memory of eating homemade ice cream topped with fresh blueberries and then running through dewy grass in the twilight with sparklers or chasing lightning bugs.    

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 BERRY PAVLOVA  

meringue
6 egg whites, room temperature
1 1/2  c. sugar
1/2  t. cream of tartar 
1 1/2  T. cornstarch
1/4 t.  freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2  t. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg  

topping
1 carton of heavy whipping cream
1/4 c. sugar or Splenda (Splenda recommended as it dissolves better)
2 pints fresh seasonal berries   

Preheat the oven to 225 F and place a rack in the middle of the oven.  Make sure the egg whites are at room temperature.  If you didn’t have time to let them sit out beforehand, place bowl of egg whites inside another large bowl filled with warm water for 15 minutes.  Using the room temperature egg whites, begin beating them on low speed with an electric mixer (just a word to the wise, don’t attempt this recipe without some type of electric mixer as it takes a great deal of whipping).   Add the cream of tartar, pinch of salt and nutmeg to the mixer and continue at low speed for 3 to 4 minutes.   

Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  Measure out the sugar and add to it the corn starch and nutmeg, mixing these three ingredients in the measuring cup.  Set aside for later.   

Returning to the egg whites in the mixer, increase the speed to medium and soft peaks should begin to appear after another 2 minutes or so.  Increase the mixer’s speed another notch or two.  Begin to slowly add the sugar mixture, sprinkling in just a few tablespoons at a time.  Let mix for 2 or 3 minutes more.   Slowly add the vanilla extract and increase the mixer speed to the highest setting.  A glossy sheen should be appearing and the whites should become increasingly stiff.  Once “stiff” peaks form, turn off the mixer and remove the bowl.   

On the lined baking sheet, place heaping spoonfuls of meringue and flatten down slightly, creating a shallow indent in the center.  Leave plenty of room between spoonfuls as the meringue spreads and rises quite a bit.  You should be able to get six on a sheet.   Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, checking on them about half way through to make sure the meringues are not coloring or cracking.  Remove from oven when meringues are crisp and dry to the touch but still relatively white in color.  You don’t want these to get golden like typical meringues on pies.  Gently lift the meringues off the parchment paper and place on a wire rack or kitchen towel to cool.   If you don’t want to use them right away, store meringues in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.    

To serve pavlovas, whip heavy cream with 1/4 c. sugar/Splenda until firm, but not stiff.  Spread a thick layer of whipped cream on top of each meringue and top with a generous handful of fresh berries.  Serve immediately.    

(makes 8-10 servings) 

I’m so sorry I left you without a recipe for such a long time!   Especially considering the last post was a tease for this amazing recipe I have for Homemade Cream Puffs filled with Rhubarb Mascarpone Filling.  Considering rhubarb season is long gone at this point in late July,  I think I’ll just see if I can convince you all to make these delectable airy puffs and fill them with ice cream instead.  I have another batch in the oven right now for just that purpose. 

It’s been so hot here in Philadelphia that I can’t really bear to cook much.  Work in the market garden is really playing me out too so it’s been tough to sit down in front of the computer without dozing off.  Explanations aside though, it’s about time I got this recipe posted.   I got a tutorial on making cream puffs from my mom a few months back.  I had never made them, thinking they must be really tricky and the privilege of a finely trained pastry chef.  Turns out, I couldn’t have been more off the mark.

My mom apparently has known the secret to making a good batch of cream puffs for a long time.  In fact, she apparently used to make them a lot when she was still keeping chickens in our backyard.  I guess I was a little too young to remember.  In any case, the trick is to use old eggs.   Something about the aging of the proteins in the eggs helps make them more stable for holding air in the center of the puffs.  I’m no food chemist so I can’t really explain it well.  Just trust me when I say I’ve made several batches of these at this point and never once have I had one collapse on me.   As my mom recalls, cream puffs were simply a good way to use up those extra eggs from the hens that had been languishing in the fridge for too long.    

According to my mom, cream puffs were a very vogue vehicle for serving food at parties back in the day, both savory and sweet.  Make them tiny or make them big, you can fill them with chicken salad, egg salad, dressed baby greens, cold cuts, cheeses… or got the sweet way and fill with ice cream, chocolate mousse,  baked fruit, or even jam swirled into fresh whipped cream.   I’ll be taking a batch of both savory and sweet ones to a picnic in a few weeks.  It’s time cream puffs were back in style!

 
Homemade Cream Puffs {with Rhubarb Marscapone Filling}
A Straight from the Farm Original

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs*

*It is very important to use “old” eggs to ensure your puffs stay poofed.  Eggs should be at least a week old…if you bought them at the farmers market (i.e., they were really fresh to start with), it might be good to even let them for two weeks. 

Preheat oven to 425 F.

In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Vigorous stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball (about 30 seconds).  Using a wooden spoon or handheld mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Puffs should be firm to the touch and dry.

When the shells are cool, either split and fill them (using a pastry bag to poke a hole and squeeze in the filling) with just about any sweet or savory mixture.   In the photos here, I used a filling created by mixing soft mascarpone cheese with creamy roated rhubarb.  Other ideas include splitting them and filling with ice cream,  chicken salad, cold cuts, herb cream cheese, etc.  Or pipe in pudding, ganache, dulce de leche, or fruity filling. 

 (makes 15-20 cream puffs)

It’s much too hot to cook right now.  Philadelphia is in the midst of yet another heat wave, this one the worst yet for the summer.   So, I thought I’d delve into my aging drafts pile and pull out something I made about a month ago when I could still look at the stove without cringing.   Sadly, rhubarb is out of season for most of us now, but you might still find a few stray stalks at the farmers market, or you can just bookmark this preparation to try next spring. 

Roasted Rhubarb & Cream is really rather divine.  I made it a few times while my rhubarb plants were pumping out the tender red stalks.  Each time I tweaked the recipe until I came up with this final version.  And it’s not just the taste that had me smitten.  Something about pouring that heavy cool cream over the steaming garnet rhubarb with flecks of vanilla bean is, well, very sensual.

Tasty in its own right, eaten with a spoon while it’s still warm, this concoction can also be blended to create a creamy sweet sauce or filling, thinned to the desired consistency with more or less cream.  I’ll show you next time how I used it to fill fluffy homemade cream puffs…. oh, what a tantalizing tease!

Roasted Rhubarb & Cream

1 lb. rhubarb, leaves discarded and stalks cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
1/3 C.granular sugar, plus more for baking dish
1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and scraped
1/4 t. cinnamon
Unsalted butter, for baking dish
1/2 C. heavy cream, for serving

Place rhubarb and 1/3 cup sugar in a large bowl. Add the vanilla seeds and scraped pods. Toss to combine and let stand 20 minutes, stirring once.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter an 8-inch baking dish and coat with a little sugar, tapping out any excess. Transfer rhubarb mixture to baking dish and bake, gently stirring halfway through, until tender, about 30 minutes. Discard vanilla pod. Let cool slightly in dish on a wire rack. Serve warm drizzled with a little heavy cream.

(serves 4)

Summer came screaming in like an out-of-control freight train around here.  We had our first official heat wave (three days or more in a row with 90+ degree temperatures) in the first week of June which is some sort of record, I believe.  The beautiful fragrant old garden roses have already come and gone.  Last summer was cold and wet.  This summer apparently is lining up to be hot and dry (except for today’s lovely soft rain).   Me thinks the ice cream churner is going to be getting a lot of use these next few months.  What a shame.  It is a burden I will try to bear with grace. 

First stop on the seasonal scoop tour is Rhubarb & Strawberry Vanilla Ice Cream.  I realize these two wonderful earl summer ephemerals may be slipping away from the farmers market stalls, but hopefully you can find a pint of berries and a bunch of stalks to give this recipe a go.  It’s so creamy and fruity; the perfect early summer cool-down. 

On another note, I have to say thank you to several of you who have really been so good to reach out to me - via lovely comments in the last post, thoughtful emails, or even in-person visits at the farmers market – letting me know how much you appreciate the blog.  It’s been a challenge keeping up with all my passions (turns out there is a bottom to the creative juices in this vessel) and having your words of encouragement has meant a lot to me.  I feel rejuvenated and already have several new recipes in the works to keep us all well-fed as the summer progresses.  Thank you, dear friends!

Rhubarb & Strawberry Vanilla Ice Cream
A Straight from the Farm Original

3/4 C. sugar
1 C. whole milk (raw if possible)
1/4 t. salt
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
3 egg yolk, lightly beaten
3/4 C. rhubarb coulis
1 1/2 C. heavy cream
1 C. finely diced fresh strawberries
1/4 C. sugar

Combine sugar, milk, salt, and scraped vanilla bean and pods in a saucepan over low heat.  Stir until the mixture just begins to steam and simmer.   Place the egg yolks into a small bowl. Gradually stir in about 1/2 cup of the hot liquid to temper the eggs and return everything to the saucepan. Heat until thickened, about 5 minutes, but be careful not to boil. Remove from the heat, and pour into a chilled bowl.  Stir in the rhubarb coulis and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.   

Using a slotted spoon, fish out the vanilla pods from the chilled custard.  Whip the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks and gently fold into the custard mixture. Pour into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.  Meanwhile, combine the diced strawberries with the remaining sugar and set aside.

When ice cream is done churning, scoop out into a container with a lid.  Fold in the strawberries while ice cream is still soft.  Cover container tightly and place in freezer to firm up, about 3-4 hours. 

(makes 1 quart)

What a whirlwind of a spring it has been this year.  My life has changed so much in just a few short weeks, just like the weather.  I’ve always been in the garden as much as possible, but it was after work or on the weekends.  Now being in the garden is my work and my whole day, from dawn to dusk, mothering all my cut flower seedlings and transplants. 

After many weeks of waiting, the sweet peas, sweet williams, calendulas, and yarrow  are rocketing up to put out their first tender buds. I’m battling the slugs like an angry mama bear to keep them from eating the baby shoots of my dearest dahlias.  And my back is nearly broke from hours of bending over to weed the beds of larkspur, poppies, and nigella I directly sowed into what appears to be a bottomless batch of weeds.  All this in the name of making beautiful bouquets for farmers markets and weddings.  I think it’s well worth it.  I know I couldn’t be happier than working in the garden and with flowers all day, especially those gloriously romantic pink peonies that are bursting into bloom right about now.  And it certainly doesn’t hurt that I get to snack on just-picked sugar snap peas that are scrambling up the garden fence too. 

Speaking of things well worth it, Dark Chocolate and Rhubarb Pots de Creme, are really quite something to be savored.   I tend to be a little leery of anything that involves  scalding milk.  Doesn’t it seem too much like tempting fate to burn the bejeezus out of the milk?  I just can’t usually see my way past this scary step to the final dish, but the thought of silky dark chocolate creme folded with that oh-so-versatile rhubarb coulis was enough to get me past my fear.  And the scalding bit really wasn’t all that bad.

The rhubarb whipped cream that tops these little pots is quite worth a try for donning any number of delightful dishes. The coulis and cream are a match made in heaven, like the fragrance of lilies of the valley and a warm spring breeze.  Its subtle pink blush just made me love it all the more.  Goodness, when did I become such a fan of girly pink?  So unlike me!  Perhaps it’s the bushels of ruby  rhubarb rubbing off on me. 

Dark Chocolate and Rhubarb Pots de Creme with Rhubarb Whipped Cream
Adapted from Spago Desserts cookbook

2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
3/4 C. heavy cream, at room temperature
1/4 C. milk, at room temperature
3 egg yolks, at room temperature
3 T. granulated sugar
1/4 C. rhubarb coulis
pinch of salt

Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 F.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat or in the microwave for 30 second increments. When the chocolate is almost melted, remove from heat , stir and let stand until completely melted.

Set  a medium saute pan over high heat for a minute or two to get it nice and hot.  Pour in the cream and milk all at once.  It should sizzle and sputter so that it scalds. Watch carefully to make sure it does not come to a rolling boil.  Remove from heat once lots of little bubbles start appearing at the edges and the cream is very hot, about 2 minutes.

In a medium mixing bowl, briskly whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, rhubarb coulis, and salt until smooth. Temper the egg mixture with about a quarter cup of the hot cream mixture, whisking as you add it to be sure to not “cook” the eggs.  While whisking, slowly add the remaining hot cream to the egg mixture.

Pour the hot cream mixture through a fine mesh strainer into the bowl of melted chocolate. Whisk until well combined and smooth.
Ladle the mixture into 3 standard ramekins. Line the bottom of a small baking pan with a paper towels. Place the filled ramekins in the baking dish on the towel. Pour in enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the entire pan with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake until mixture around the edges of the ramekin is firm when lightly shaken, about 35 minutes. The center may still jiggle slightly when shake; it will firm up as it chills.

Carefully remove the ramekins from the baking pan, wipe dry and allow to cool. Once cooled, refrigerate until firm, about 2 to 3 hours.  To serve, spoon some Rhubarb Whipped Cream (recipe below) into the ramekin and garnish with some grated chocolate.

Rhubarb Whipped Cream

3/4 C. heavy cream, chilled
3 T. rhubarb coulis
1 T. superfine sugar or Splenda

Whip the cream in a chilled bowl to soft peaks. Fold in the rhubarb coulis and sugar.  Continue to whip into stiff peaks.

(serves 3)

Rhubarb has been piling up in my fridge as the plants in the garden go bonkers this spring.  It is absolutely amazing how fast these plants grow.  The crimson stalks seem to appear overnight and if left to their own devices for a week, they’ll triple in size!   Since I can’t possibly keep up with the harvest in “real time”, I have taken to making big jars of the rhubarb coulis that I included in the last post’s recipe.  The coulis lasts in the fridge for quite some time (so far three weeks) and is wonderful for so many dishes, including drizzled over a big bowl of vanilla ice cream.  Mmmm….  

Strawberries have somehow always been the most common pairing for rhubarb, but I would argue this is an injustice to the rhubarb since the strawberries really tend to mask the tart complexity of the rhubarb.  Still, having all this rhubarb around the house got me in the mood for pie.  At first I was going to settle for straight rhubarb pie, but as I was writing out my shopping list, I started thinking more about my favorite kinds of pie and why I like them.  I don’t particularly like pies with a crust on top; nor do I really like pies that have chunks and juices that act like strangers once you cut a slice.   My favorite pies all seem to be dense and custardy, probably thanks, at least in part, to growing up with my Grandmother’s amazing pumpkin pie.

So, once I realized that a straight rhubarb pie was going to yield a pie that wasn’t, on principle, really to my liking consistency-wise, I decided to think about using the rhubarb coulis in some sort of custard pie instead.   Unlike strawberries, lemons seemed a good teammate for this pie project since they compliment the rhubarb’s natural flavors.  Lemon sponge pie is my go-to pie for any time I need a quick dessert to take to a potluck or to have on hand for company.  Adapting it to add the rhubarb coulis was easy…as pie. 

Rhubarb Lemon Sponge Pie
A Straight from the Farm Original

2 (9-inch) unbaked deep dish pie crusts*
3 T. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 C. sugar
4 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
3 T. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 C. milk
2 T. grated lemon zest
juice of one lemon (about a 1/4 cup)
pinch of salt
2/3 C. rhubarb coulis

*Pre-made pie shells from the store’s freezer section work just fine here.

Preheat oven to 375 F and lower the rack.  In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.   Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg yolks and mix well.  Add the flour, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt, mixing until well combined.  Gently fold in the egg whites. 

Pour the mixture into the pie shells.  Divided between the two pies, spoon the rhubarb coulis over the filling and use a table knife to swirl it around a bit (like you would if you were making a marble cake). 

Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 300 F.  Bake for an additional 45 minutes or until the top is dark golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool before serving.  Flavor is best when chilled.  Store in the fridge with plastic wrap on top.   A dollop of fresh whipped cream never hurts when serving.

(serves 16)