rhubarb galette

Amy found this recipe in Sunset Magazine and sent it my way. She was quite taken by the presentation with the bright, red rhubarb baked as whole stalks, and really it did look beautiful baked up like that. We're always chopping the rhubarb into teeny-tiny pieces or saucing it, but never EVER just leaving it whole, to appreciate it's natural looks.


It was a great way to quickly make a rhubarb dessert and it's less sweet than your standard rhubarb concoction.

• Rhubarb Cardamom Galette
• Recipe from Sunset magazine
• 1  sheet (9 to 10 oz.) frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1/3  cup  granulated sugar, divided
• 1  tablespoon  packed brown sugar
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground cardamom
• 2  tablespoons  flour
• 12  ounces  rhubarb (about 8 thin or 3 thick stalks)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425° with a rack set on lowest level. Unfold pastry onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, the brown sugar, cardamom, and flour. Evenly sprinkle sugar mixture over pastry.

Trim rhubarb 1 in. shorter than pastry, then split lengthwise into 1/2-in.-wide pieces. Lay pieces parallel across the pastry square, leaving 1/2 in. border of pastry. Sprinkle rhubarb with remaining granulated sugar.

Bake galette until edges are golden brown and puffed, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with sweetened whipped cream or ice cream.

it's high time for pie time

My Grandma Marce (who just celebrated her 88th Birthday in December and her 67th Mother's Day on Sunday) first introduced me to pie baking. She is a very talented baker and can take any fruit and turn it into a pie, like magic. I remember cooking with her and that she always took the time to explain the process, and let me help with little jobs like rolling out the dough, or adding sugar to the fruit. 

During her summer visits to Alaska she would make strawberry rhubarb pie using the rhubarb in our yard. It was one of my favorite desserts growing up, and thanks to her, it still is.

Strawberries and rhubarb:  a partnership to go down in the books

pie and ice cream: another good combination

FOR THE CRUST:

2 2⁄3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

2⁄3 cup vegetable oil

6 tbsp. cold milk

FOR THE FILLING:

1 1⁄4 cups plus 2 tsp. sugar

1⁄4 cup corn starch

1⁄4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1⁄4 tsp. ground cinnamon

3 cups thinly sliced rhubarb

3 cups halved and hulled strawberries

2 tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces

2 tsp. milk

1. Preheat oven to 400°. For the crust: Sift together flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Measure oil into a measuring cup, then add milk, but don't stir together. Pour oil and milk into flour mixture. Stir until dough just holds together. Divide dough in half, shape into 2 balls, and flatten slightly. Roll out each ball between two sheets of wax paper into 12" rounds. Transfer one pastry round (discarding wax paper) into a 9" pie plate, and set other pastry round aside.

2. For the filling: Mix together 1 1⁄4 cups of the sugar, corn starch, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl, then add rhubarb and strawberries, tossing well to coat evenly.

3. Fill bottom crust with rhubarb–strawberry mixture and scatter butter on top. Cover with remaining pastry round (discarding wax paper) and crimp edges together to seal. Score top to allow steam to escape, brush with milk, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tsp. sugar. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, about 50 minutes. If edge of crust browns too quickly, cover edge with a strip of aluminum foil to prevent burning. Allow pie to cool for 1 hour before serving.

SERVES 8

rhuby tuesday

These last couple weeks have been very exciting with signs of late spring beginning to appear, which is especially nice considering that summer will be here before we know it. The farmers markets are showcasing more brightly colored flowers and lots more fresh fruits and vegetables, my favorite of which is rhubarb. For me the first rhubarb, marks the beginning of pie season. With a little rhubarb from the Ballard market, a little from Dan's mom's garden, I made the first rhubarb pie of 2010. 
This pie recipe comes from Saveur magazine, the crust is really nice because it uses oil rather than butter or shortening, making it much easier to work with. They got the crust recipe from Louise Piper, who won a 1997 blue ribbon at the Iowa State Fair, using this crust and a strawberry-rhubarb filling. This one's just filled with rhubarb, but I'll share the recipe soon for the strawberry-rhubarb version.

RHUBARB PIE

Crust:
2 2⁄3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

2⁄3 cup vegetable oil

6 tbsp. cold milk

For the filling:

1 1⁄3 cups, plus 2 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp corn starch
1⁄4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1⁄4 tsp. ground cinnamon
4-6 cups thinly sliced rhubarb
2 tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces
2 tsp. milk
Preheat oven to 400°. For the crust: Sift together flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Measure oil into a measuring cup, then add milk, but don't stir together. Pour oil and milk into flour mixture. Stir until dough just holds together. Divide dough in half, shape into 2 balls, and flatten slightly. Roll out each ball between two sheets of wax paper into 12" rounds. Transfer one pastry round (discarding wax paper) into a 9" pie plate, and set other pastry round aside.
For the filling: Mix together 1 1⁄3 cups of the sugar, corn starch, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl, then add rhubarb, tossing well to coat evenly.Fill bottom crust with rhubarb mixture and scatter butter on top. Cover with remaining pastry round (discarding wax paper) and crimp edges together to seal. Score top to allow steam to escape, brush with milk, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tsp. sugar. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, about 50 minutes. If edge of crust browns too quickly, cover edge with a strip of aluminum foil to prevent burning. Allow pie to cool for 1 hour before serving.

a sauce for all seasons

i am in love with rhubarb. i could eat it every day. year round. for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert. in oatmeal, in a cake, baked into a pie, atop ice cream.  on a boat or in a train. with a fox. in a box. you get the idea.


Now that you understand my love, please also understand that i am always looking for new recipes that kindly feature my favorite ingredient and maximize it's special flavor.  


here is a winner. this is a rhubarb sauce that you bake in the oven with a little white wine and a little sugar, and then serve with any and all items that your heart desires. this sauce would pair well with items such as toast, oatmeal, ice cream, cake, by itself, yogurt and others. endless possibilities.


I paired it with a sweet (but not too sweet) cornmeal cake, topped with a dollop of whipped cream. so good. so special. please make it and enjoy.  

sauce.

cake.

cake. sauce. whip cream. good. 

mariners bobble head. weird.

CORNMEAL CAKE WITH ROASTED RHUBARB SAUCE
(both recipes courtesy of Orangette)


ROASTED RHUBARB SAUCE
(4 to 6 servings)
2 lb. rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
½ cup sugar
½ cup crisp white wine (I used a pinot grigio)
1 tsp vanilla

Set a rack in the lower third of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the rhubarb in a Dutch oven or other deep oven-safe pot. Add the sugar, wine, and vanilla, and stir to mix. Bake (uncovered) for about 30 minutes, or until very tender, giving the pot a gentle stir about midway through to ensure that the rhubarb cooks evenly.

CORNMEAL CAKE
1 ¼ cups cake flour
6 Tbs fine yellow cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup milk, preferably whole
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbs powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9” round cake pan with butter or cooking spray, and then dust the pan lightly with flour, shaking out any excess.

In a bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a measuring cup, combine the milk and vanilla extract. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar gradually, scraping down the bowl once or twice, until smooth and fully incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the lemon zest, and beat to incorporate. Add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk mixture, beating on low speed until just combined. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 15-20 minutes in the pan; then invert it onto a plate, and turn it topside up onto a rack. Cool the cake to room temperature.

Whip the cream. Pour the cream into a mixing bowl, and beat it on medium speed until it begins to thicken. With the beaters running, slowly sprinkle in the sugar, and continue to beat until the cream holds soft peaks.


Serve cake with a spoonful of the sauce and a plop of whipped cream.