Fresh Strawberry Pie with Rhubarb Curd

My Fresh Strawberry Pie with Rhubarb Curd all started with two quarts of gorgeous little local fresh strawberries. You know the ones. They’re really small. And sometimes oddly shaped. And deep dark red. They were at the market, and it was time for a fresh strawberry pie. But I didn’t have the heart to make a Jello-ed, jellied pie with those perfect berries. Even the homemade strawberry puree plus cornstarch versions you see this time of year didn’t seem worthy of those berries. So I started thinking about what else has a consistency that would help fresh strawberries bind together in a pie-like way. Which got me on to lemon curd. Which made me think of the tart neighbor, passion fruit curd, which we had all over our breakfast, all over Australia. Which got me thinking about other fruits that would be a welcome addition to curd. I could reinforce the strawberry, kind of like the original complete with strawberry Jell-o, but after thinking of lemon, tart sounded right to me. And of course, rhubarb and strawberry are such friendly ingredients, and I still had a bag frozen that was calling to me like a siren. So next thing you … Continue reading

Father’s Day Rosemary Rhubarb Upsidedown Cake

It’s tradition in my family to make a rhubarb pie for Father’s Day but this year I’m changing things up with my Father’s Day Rosemary Rhubarb Upsidedown Cake. Usually the timing of Father’s Day is perfect for the first rhubarb harvest (in Door Country, Wisconsin), which is probably how the tradition started. It doesn’t hurt that rhubarb is my dad’s very favorite, and the man is a dessert connoisseur. My mother has sweetly agreed to make this Father’s Day Rosemary Rhubarb Upsidedown Cake since I won’t be in Wisconsin myself this father’s day. Talk about a good recipe test, right? When I sent it to her, she had lots of questions about the recipe. The first had to do with the fact that this recipe features three kinds of flour, but I promise you, just like I did her, it’s for good reason. The all purpose offers loft, the almond sweetness and moistness, and the corn meal brings a slightly crunchy texture. The corn meal also offers a slightly savory note that is a wonderful partner to the savory rosemary caramel and creates a sort of rustic feel that is perfect in my Father’s Day Rosemary Rhubarb Upsidedown Cake. Because while … Continue reading

Rhubarb Mint Juleps

Rhubarb Mint Juleps are just the ticket to take advantage of the fresh rhubarb that’s in abundance during the spring as well as take cocktail hour to the next level at the Kentucky Derby Party. I have to admit, there’s absolutely nothing traditional about this combination, and rhubarb is not a southern thing at all, so the combo might seem a bit odd, but I am a combination of a Southerner and a Northerner and I reserve the right to mix and match as I so choose. And I love rhubarb in the spring and think it pairs really well with bourbon because rhubarb is really tart, so it pairs well with things that taste naturally sweet. Mint juleps are all about the sweet, so rhubarb provides a nice balance. Note: I came upon a new technique that makes these rhubarb juleps even better, so if you looked at this recipe, or printed it prior to 4/22/15, take another look. It all came about when I was making my Fresh Strawberry Pie with Rhubarb Curd. I made too much of the rhubarb puree and began whisking it into cocktails. Turns out that rhubarb puree preserved the flavor of rhubarb WAY … Continue reading

Rhubarb Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping

After you’ve got your guests settled in with a Pamplemosa, it’s time to bring out the Rhubarb Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping to keep them happy while the rest of Easter Brunch heats up. This is my go-to coffee cake- sort of. The truth is I’m a kitchen-sinker when it comes to lots of classics, so while this is a good framework for how I make coffeecake, there’s lots of ingredients I substitute in and out based on what’s in the fridge and what’s in season. Yogurt, sour cream, creme fraiche, even ricotta all work for the sour cream and I sub them in whilly nilly. And I have to admit that every since I made it with ricotta last spring… Oh man. So good. And that’s not all that changes. I make it with different fruit throughout the year, and tweak the spices. Sometime I make blueberry with lemon or orange zest and cardamom. I make fresh peach in the summer, or frozen sour cherries in the winter, but I think best of all, is the when rhubarb is in season. There’s something about the Rhubarb Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping that has my guests begging for the recipe. … Continue reading