Rhubarb: A Lovely Rite of Passage
15 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Dessert, Party Food Tags: Betty Crocker, ginger crisp, potluck dessert, rhubarb, rhubarb crisp, rite of passage, spring, spring dessert, spring fruit crisp, summer fruit crisp
Our area’s rich in rhubarb this time of year. I adore the tang, the zip, the color, and how perfectly it goes with a crispy topping and a scoop of vanilla, or a dollop of whipped cream or yogurt. It’s dessert, it’s a snack, it’s breakfast (all three, if you’re lucky and don’t have to share). Wait though – sharing is the best way to eat, and this is ideal potluck fare.
Rhubarb is the first “fruit” (though it’s technically a vegetable) of spring, the rite of passage to summer. It’s worth celebrating.
If it’s not in your back yard, we have it locally grown at New Pi. Here’s another gorgeous way to use it: Rhubarb Custard Pie.
Crisps are one of my favorite things. Sweet but not overpowering, easy but satisfying, perfectly country-casual Betty Crocker. I don’t mind too much topping to fruit ratio, nor too much fruit to topping ratio – in whatever proportions, I still find they suit one another. This is low-stress baking.
The recipe below is a dressed up rhubarb crisp, with the addition of ginger and orange. If you don’t want the ginger or orange to dominate, go a little light with them. Their flavors strengthen after a day.
Rhubarb, Orange, and Ginger Crisp
Adapted from Jamie Oliver
2 ¼ lbs. rhubarb, trimmed and chopped (small pieces for a smooth consistency, long pieces for more texture)
1 c. brown sugar, divided
1 orange, juiced, and ¼ of its zest (or more for a stronger orange flavor)
1 ½ c. flour
1 ¼ c. rolled oats
thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger (more if desired), peeled with the edge of a spoon and minced
7 T. cold butter, chopped into cubes
Preheat oven to 350˚F.
Simmer rhubarb, ½ c. brown sugar, orange juice, and zest a few minutes, until rhubarb softens somewhat. Transfer to an ungreased ovenproof dish.
Mix ½ c. brown sugar, flour, oats, and ginger together.
Pinch in butter with fingers until pieces start to form. Sprinkle over rhubarb.
Bake 40-45 min., until golden and rhubarb bubbles up.
Like this:
This Weekend (backyard or in the wild)
20 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
in Entrees, Party Food Tags: aluminum foil, barbeque, campfire food, camping food, cookout, foilie, grill out, scallops, seafood, white fish
Scallops. Middle Eastern Couscous. Lemon. Cranberries. Fire.
Yum! But how does it all work?
Tin foil packages, which we’ll call “foilies” – it rolls off your tongue better, and sounds incredibly kid-friendly, which it is. Sadly, this was new to me – I know, I’ve gone through my whole life without foilies! Thanks to my coworkers Jen & Genie, however, foilies have come into my life and campfire cooking will forever be more exciting.
Genie’s a recipe whiz and deserves all the credit for how divine this one is! She invented more great recipes for foilies and pudgie pies (sweet or savory sandwiches cooked in a pie iron over the fire) that’ll all be in our upcoming Summer Catalyst, out late next month – can’t wait!
If you are camping, this is the ideal food to prep in advance if you’re taking cold packs along. Build a fire and it’s instant, and wayyy better – incomparable, really – than a can of beans or a variety pack of granola bars. Sheesh, incomparable isn’t a strong enough word!
This is really fabulous – make it.
Scallops or White Fish with Cranberry Almond Couscous
Genie Maybanks
4 large sheets heavy-duty foil
1 T. smoked paprika
1 t. crushed red pepper flakes (reduce if desired)
1 c. uncooked Middle Eastern (large) couscous
¼ c. sliced green onion
½ c. sliced almonds
½ c. dried cranberries
salt & pepper
2 T. chopped fresh parsley (optional)
1 can (10 1/2 oz.) chicken broth or 1 T. bullion plus 1 1/2 c. water
1 lb. scallops or 4 white fish fillets
4 T. melted butter, margarine, olive oil, or walnut oil
1 lemon, peel sliced off, thinly sliced, seeds removed
(For simpler version, simply use fish, couscous, bullion, 3 T. dried dill or 2-3 T. dried chives, dried cranberries, oil, and lemon slices)
COMBINE first 8 ingredients. Stir in half of the chicken broth.
CENTER ¼ of the mixture on each sheet of foil, with the dull side toward food. Top with scallops or fish, butter or oil, and lemon slices.
FOLD up foil sides partway, add remaining chicken broth to each, and seal the packets, leaving room for heat circulation inside.
GRILL 8 to 10 minutes in covered grill or on campfire until fish is cooked through.
Homemade Bread You Have Time For
09 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment
in Breads, Brunch, Snacks Tags: baking soda, bread for tea, easy bread, fast bread, Ireland, Irish bread, irish soda bread, no-knead bread, quick bread, St. Patrick's Day
Yeasted breads are wonderful things, but we all can agree there’s one thing they do take: time. Time to proof the yeast, time to rise, time to rise again. You can skip the kneading step if you like with the recipe in this post, but that time element is the replacement for kneading – though it has delicious results.
There’s another answer out there though, provided by our Irish friends: baking soda! I’ll take this opportunity to wish you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!, and if you’d like the right treat, try this rich Guinness Chocolate Mousse on for size.
Back to bread. Irish Soda Bread allowed people without ovens (many people, back in the day) to make bread in a cast iron vessel in a fire, though now that most people have ovens we like to use them for this as well. Read more about the traditional Irish Soda Bread here, on Epicurious.
Nowadays, it’s just plain simple and easy! The payoff is great, particularly slathered with some high-quality butter. MmmmMmm.
If you don’t have buttermilk around and aren’t in the mood for buttermilk pancakes this weekend (though really now, how often is that the case?), sub in ‘sour milk,’ milk with a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar per cup mixed in and set aside for five or ten minutes. It’ll do the trick.
Brown Soda Bread
1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
3 T. toasted wheat bran
3 T. toasted wheat germ
2 T. old-fashioned oats
2 T. (packed) dark brown sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 T. (1/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 c. (approximately) buttermilk
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Butter 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl; mix well.
Stir in enough buttermilk to form a soft dough. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles fine meal.
Transfer dough to prepared loaf pan. Bake until bread is dark brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Turn bread out onto rack. Turn right side up and cool on rack.
