Downtown Bozeman seems to be The Place for thriving rhubarb patches. Who would have guessed? Even our domestically-challenged sweetheart of a friend from Georgia has it growing in her yard. (She is going to need help figuring out what to do with it all, hence this quick post!) Just like the blackberry compote I posted a few weeks back: dissolve sugar in a couple tablespoons of water, toss in the fruit (vegetable in this case…yep, it’s true. rhubarb is a vegetable, albeit one that likes bathing in sugar syrup and being served with yogurt…but I digress), cover and simmer for 10 minutes or so. Voilà!
Thank you to Jennie Schacht, my Bakers Dozen friend, for the original “rhubarb sauce”, a component of her Rhubarb, Blueberry & Cream Parfait from Farmers’ Market Desserts.
Ingredients
- 3 or 4 medium-sized stalks of rhubarb, cut into ½ inch pieces
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp. water
- ½ tsp. freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Place sugar and water in small saucepan over medium heat and swirl until sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add rhubarb, stir to coat with syrup, and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 10 minutes until the rhubarb is quite soft, then mash a bit with a wooden spoon.
- Add lemon or lime juice and a pinch of sea salt. Taste and adjust flavor with additional sugar or a few extra drops of lemon or lime juice.
Amy’s Kitchen Coach Tips:
- Always cool sauces like this compote to room temperature before you put them in the refrigerator.
- Try a heaping spoonful on your yogurt (if you’re ok with decadent, try Straus Greek – mmmm!), or top a pannacotta.
- Shelflife? I keep my compote in a glass jar in the fridge. Should last a couple weeks, but mine is usually gone before then so I don’t know for certain.
- They go together, like rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong: strawberries & rhubarb. Go ahead, try it! Cook some fresh strawberries in with the rhubarb.
