First Taste of Summer

in #food2 years ago

FDE703F7-D94C-40F8-9594-DA13AA5F05FD.jpeg

Here in the north the growing season comes late; there are barely any leaves on apple trees as of now and the strawberries are only about to bloom, but what we do have is rhubarb.

I’d been eyeing the little rhubarb bush all weekend and decided I must get the first taste of it in the form of a pie.

I made the most basic lazy girl rhubarb and quark pie, even bought the crust dough readymade, I regret nothing. I think my active baking time was 15 minutes, including getting the rhubarb from outside, and bake time 35 minutes. The longest part was to wait for the pie to cool and settle for a bit before digging in.

As a first ever harvest from my own garden, I’m happy with my rhubarb pie. Though I would have liked it to be more tangy by having more of the rhubarb in but I did’t dare to cut more off. I know there will be way more rhubarb to come during the summer, enough for me to get bored of it.

I’d be interested to hear if this sort of pie is as common elsewhere in the world. Basic pie crust, some sort of sour milk product with eggs and sugar whisked in, and then what ever berries or fruit you like. Here in Finland I think the most common ones are rhubarb in the summer and blueberries in autumn.

I don’t intent to even try to be self sufficient or anything like that, but it’s extremely pleasing, and free or cheap, to grow your own food. I’m eager to see how well our currant bushes, strawberries and few little apple trees treat us this summer and autumn. Since it’s our first summer here the anticipation is real.

8E7DC2EB-A79B-408F-A12C-0DBBD953E665.jpeg

A07845AE-DD3A-4D4F-8CA0-486CD9566D44.jpeg

5AE42AD6-365D-452E-9246-6BD0C7B4277F.jpeg

Sort:  

I feel like my Grandfather when I say this but ... when you pick rhubarb, do not use a knife. Grab the stalk near the base and pull/twist it away from the plant.

The reason I was told was : if you cut the rhubarb, the plant won't realize the stalk has been removed - so won't replace it and the exposed cut can rot down tot he root (killing the whole plant). If you twist it off, the plant will start putting energy into growing a new leaf.

https://gardentherapy.ca/harvest-rhubarb/

A simple recipe I like for rhubarb is stewed rhubarb.

Cut the rhubarb into small pieces, measure it and use a roughly 5:1 ratio of rhubarb to sugar. (You know how to cook, so adjust it to your taste). Put it in a saucepan on a medium low heat, add a couple spoonfuls of water (enough to help melt the sugar). Let it simmer until the rhubarb is the consistency you like.

Once you have the stewed rhubarb, eat it however you want. Smeared on toast instead of jam? Warm on vanilla ice cream? With yogurt and granola?

If you puree/strain it ... you now have a rhubarb infused simple syrup. Try it with gin or vodka. (Anywhere where you'd use bar lime, you can use it)

I had no idea! I have always just cut it and I haven’t noticed a problem because the rhubarb bush at homehome is huge 😅 Thanks for letting me know, I appreciate good and useful advice.

Stewed rhubarb is very delicious and I might have some use for the syrup too. Gin and rhubarb definitely isn’t a bad idea.

It's funny. I have a shelf in my freezer full of last years rhubarb - and it's time to pick more this year 🙄. I have a hard time finding people to give the rhubarb away to ... but ... if I make a batch of the simple syrup, I can give it away almost instantly. :-).

Relatively close to me is a place that makes their own ice cream ... They will essentially trade you home made ice cream for fresh rhubarb stalks. :-). https://themerrydairy.com/the-rhubarb-stalk-exchange/

It's a great way to get rid of the first crop of the season.

Never have I ever heard anyone say "I don't have enough rhubarb" if they have their own bush in the garden, so I get it :D Have you ever made rhubarb juice? Mom was just talking about it and I need to ask for the recipe because if I recall, it's not just rhubarb, water and sugar.

That ice cream thing sounds like a win-win to me.

I LOVE rhubarb! - the best and the most simple way to make is to mix the small pieces with pancake mixture - with a bit of sugar powder - it is heaven ;).
Good to add some sugar to already cut rhubarb before frying, to get some juice out of it first...

Oh I haven’t tried rhubarb with pancakes, that sounds absolutely delicious! I’ll definitely have a go at it this summer.

Yum!
Also I love the plate. What a cool range of patterns 😍

The plates are English, Out of the Blue from Churchill, scored them from a fleamarket :)

Rhubarb pie is pretty common where I live, although it's made quite a bit differently, more like apple pie, but with rhubarb instead of apples.

Apple pie can be made a hundred different ways also :)

rhubarb crumble and custard, the only way

I ain’t mad about that.