What Inspires You Wednesday: Making The Most of Seasonal Crops

Rhubarb

Our rhubarb crop isn't actually ours. It's our neighbors. They don't eat it. Which works for us, because we love it.

Before we talk about taste, let's talk about color. It is magnificent. The bright red stalks. The big green leaves. It is one gorgeous plant.

Then there is that wonderful tartness, when combined with sweet is enough to make you salivate.

I usually make rhubarb bread, I've tried rhubarb cake and have also made jam.  I thought it was time to add to my rhubarb repertoire.  So I made a crumble. Oh yeah. A crumble. Or a crunch. Whatever you want to call it.

I baked one for Dad for Father's Day and one of G (aka Mr. Sweet Tooth) and me.

We all thought it came out delicious.

I started with this basic recipe from The Farm Chicks and did a little tweaking because I was missing some of the ingredients. In the end, this is how the recipe turned out.

base:

• 4 cups rhubarb (chopped)
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup oats
• 1 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 plain non-fat yogurt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 sauce:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Rinse and chop rhubarb and set aside.

In big bowl mix flour, oats, sugars, cinnamon, butter and yogurt. Press one-half of crumb mixture into a buttered 7"x11" or 8.5"x11" baking dish. (as you can see, I used a loaf pan because I couldn't find my baking dish! It worked just fine.)  Top with rhubarb. Set aside and make sauce.

Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and cold water. Heat on stove until lightly bubbly and thickened. I did it in microwave according to directions but I think stove top would work better.  When creamy looking and a bit thicker, take off stove and rest for a minute to allow to thicken a little more.

Pour mixture over the rhubarb. Top with the rest of the crumb mixture.  Put in preheated 350F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until liquid is bubbling a bit. Take out and rest. Serve plain or with whipped cream or ice cream.

Easy enough, right?

There is nothing like taking advantage of the crops of the season. Fresh, full of flavor. See what I mean?

It makes so much more sense than fighting nature, like trying to find a non-anemic looking tomato in the winter. In-season fruits and veg are as good as it gets. There is still more rhubarb to pick, but I've got to be quick in the next couple of days before it goes to seed. I'm thinking I can even chop, blanch and freeze it.  One way to have seasonal fruits and veg when it's not quite their season.

It's starting to feel like summer here. I've got the AC on for the dog because it's quite humid and he's an old boy of 14.  There is a nice breeze today and I think that will be the saving grace, especially since I'm still getting the pool ready. I so wish it was done.

Today is full with bookwork, design revisions and ad deadlines and more revisions. Kind of like yesterday. What's on your plate today?

Ciao for now,

From The Kitchen: The Baker Is In

He's Been At It Again

Don't ask me why, but G took it upon himself to bake another bread this week. Right on the heels of his delicious banana bread, he decided to change it up a bit.  Our friend had some pears that he had no intention of eating, so he took them off his hands and put them in our freezer.

When I opened the freezer door all I thought was 'why the heck are there pears in the freezer?'. Can't say I've seen that one before.

Who knew, but they worked just fine for what G-the-Baker-Man had planned: Pear Bread.

Perfectly delicious pear bread, at that.

He took the pears out of the freezer the day before and let them defrost in the fridge.  NOTE: Now, be sure you put them in a bowl, because once they had thawed, there was a decent amount of liquid that needed to be drained away.  G also pressed them down with paper towels to get even more liquid out and then drained the bowl again.

Imagine........he's getting so crafty with the even he's trying things he made up on his own. He used his banana bread recipe as the base, adjusting as he went along. And it worked.

Oh yes it did.

It worked.

Hello heaven.

 For goodness sake woman.........get the butter while it's hot!

Oh yeah.

That's what I'm talking about.

Now it's your turn to whip some up.


Garrett's Why The Hell Not Pear Bread

3 Medium to Large Pears
(Over-ripe is best. Can be frozen and thawed. Note: If frozen, take out of the freezer the day before and put in bowl in the refrigerator to collect the liquid as they thaw.  Then drain liquid, and keep pears in bowl, press down hard with paper towels to release more liquid. Drain again.)

1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1.75 cups of flour (if it still seems a little loose, add up to 1/4 of cup of flour to adjust)

Squeeze pear out of skin and into bowl. Throw away the core.  Mash with butter in bowl. Add sugar, vanilla and baking soda. Mix well. Add flour and mix until all is incorporated. Pour mix into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350F for one hour. Let rest 5 minutes.

I guess I'll keep him around. If he keeps baking like this, that is.


It's the perfect day around here for baking bread. It is freezing! Sub zero again. I'll just sit on the other side of your computer screen, dreaming of spring.

Have a great day and get baking!


Ciao for now,

PS- Bonus points for those who get the 'for goodness sake woman' reference from one of my very favorite movies.