Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Rhubarb, The Perfect Sign Of Spring, A Perfect Dessert in 30 Minutes.

   Nothing says Spring quite like rhubarb, unless it's strawberries. Tall and tangy, short and sweet, together they're the ideal spring duo. All mixed up together and sugared down they cook up quickly into a perfectly versatile dessert. Eaten warm as a compote it can grace the brunch table. Cool and topped with whipped cream, it's a light and fruity dessert, and as a topping for ice cream, vanilla or buttermilk, it's perfect. The other great thing about this dessert in a season where rhubarb and strawberries are in season... it's dirt cheap to prepare and it's table ready in 30 minutes, can't beat that any time of year.
   That was why when I hit the Fruit Basket the other afternoon and saw this lovely fruit, I couldn't resist picking some up. A friend of mine is recovering  at home from a riding accident and since I was going to be doing some cooking for her, I asked her husband what she particularly would like to eat. One thing he mentioned was fruit. What better than the freshest fruit available at present, something that could be enjoyed in a variety of ways; which is why I decided on this simple light rhubarb and strawberry compote.


Rhubarb Strawberry Compote




Here's what to do:
 Clean and chop:
   1 lb of fresh rhubarb into 3/4 inch pieces.
   2 pints of strawberries into quarters.
 In a large saucepan  add in:
The strawberry and rhubarb mixture

   1/4 cup of water
   3/4 cup of sugar
   1 stick of cinnamon
 Mix it together well
 Turn the skillet to a medium heat, bring to a boil and then reduce everything to a simmer. Simmer it all together for 30 minutes or so until all is softened.
  Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon to prevent discoloration. Check for taste, and serve it up warm or chill and serve cold, or use it as a topping for ice cream. That's it. It's that simple and easy because sometimes things just happen to be that way.

 Coming up, more spring vegetables go Indian. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori

5 comments :

  1. Can't get much better or more refreshing than this!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Belinda @zomppa,
    Yes it's one of my favorite combos!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a great combination of flavors! Very refreshing for summer!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your photos are looking great and that compote is the perfect way to enjoy rhubarb - simple and unadulterated.

    ReplyDelete
  5. @cookin' canuck,
    Thanks..Alan got a new camera and he's really been taking some amazing pictures. The compote's one of our Spring favorites.

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin