Unless you have been happily living under a rock, you’ve probably been exposed to THE tune of spring/summer 2024: Barbaras Rhabarberbar. The song, and its accompanying dance challenge, seem to have the whole world in a chokehold. Make of that what you will. It’s definitely catchy…
Rhubarb looks like an embarrassed celery, green on the one end, blushing pink-ish red at the other. It’s BIG in spring, for good reason: it’s tart and fresh and easy to cook with. Normally, you’ll find rhubarb in dessert dishes (crumbles, pies, and tarts to name just a few), but in my opinion, it’s been unfairly relegated to the dessert department - its tartness could liven up lots of other dishes. Which is precisly what we’re doing today…! Get ready for:
COURSE 1: Pickled Rhubarb (for all kinds of snacking and garnishing)
COURSE 2: a Carrot-Lemongrass-Rhubarb Soup with Crunchy Sesame Roasted Carrot Skins (a recipe from MY BOOK)
This recipe is in Chapter 3 of my book, titled Once in a Blue Moon. These are soups that use elusive seasonal ingredients like wild garlic, blood orange, rhubarb, white asparagus, porcini, zucchini blossoms, and truffle. There is something so special about these ingredients that come around for just a few fleeting weeks a year and I love finding new ways to enjoy them.
COURSE 3: an UNSOLICITED, yet delicious, dessert recipe: a Lemongrass-Ginger-Rhubarb compote & a Coconut Matcha Crunch.
Note: I use the term courses loosely here. Add and subtract as you see fit! I can’t tell you what to do.