Nostalgic Strawberry Rhubarb Jam - Toast Topper #92

Can you capture nostalgia in a jar? This Strawberry Rhubarb Jam tastes exactly how I remember my grandma's to be - and it should since its only 3 ingredients, time and heat! Simple is often the best!

 

For once, our rhubarb and the local strawberries managed to peak at the same time! I love this time of year when everything is fresh and bright - and nothing reminds me more of one particular childhood summer than strawberry rhubarb jam. I'm sure my paternal grandmother made it more than once, but there is a definite memory of a summer when I was about 10 or so where we visited a community garden and farm stall prior to me helping her make dill pickles and strawberry rhubarb freezer jam. I used to swear I hated rhubarb too - what kid would like this sour / bitter vegetable of all things? But her jam convinced me that it was possible to make it taste good with enough sugar and strawberries added in!

I came across a recipe similar to my grandma's on Food52 and decided to give it a go with a few other tricks I had from an old church cookbook, namely freezing the strawberries, rhubarb and a tiny bit of sugar first before completing the maceration. I'm not entirely sure what this does to be honest, except draw out extra liquid and leaving the berries and rhubarb a bit more chunky. Whatever it did or didn't do, this recipe is a keeper - it's perfect for a small glut of strawberries or when you only have a few jam lovers in the house (shocker, I know).

Rhubarb Pie with Vanilla, Strawberries and Lemon Balm

The standard strawberry rhubarb formula gets twisted with this version, which uses 100% fruit strawberry jam for convenience without loss of fresh fruit flavour. The filling gets added notes of vanilla, cinnamon and lemon balm for a true bakery wonder!

I never used to think I'd be a strawberry-rhubarb kind of gal. Truth be told, in the middle of Summer I'd still pick a perfectly gooey cherry pie over anything, but I have to say, a homemade pastry with local strawberries and rhubarb would be a mighty close second!

I'm almost 100% sure my love for the sweet-tart combination comes from my Summer weekends spent with my Grandma. I would watch (and try to help) as she plucked rhubarb, dill and cucumbers from her community garden, and help (and eat) when we went strawberry picking (or choosing, depending on the energy levels that day). I never got to see her make the jam, pickles and pies, but sure as anything, come Summer's end we'd have a pie and a few extra jars in our fridge! Aside from her holiday mashed potatoes, I honestly can't think of anything else she made that was super-spectacular (sorry, Grandma). Somehow, though, she managed to get the balance of sour and sweet just right, and I was a convert.

Obviously, I have more than my fair share of strawberry-rhubarb concoctions - not the least of them being pies! This time around I decided to utilize a part-jar of strawberry jam I had made early in the Summer and do a riff on this one from last year, making a different crust (that smells like doughnuts when it bakes!). In the filling, I added layers of flavour for a truly unique pie experience: cinnamon and vanilla (just a dash of each) added a real richness and extra sweet feel to the mixture, while a dash of minced fresh lemon balm from the garden brought a slightly herbal, citrusy brightness. The homemade jam was pretty plain-jane and made with local honey, so all I tasted was fruitiness on that end, mingling with the tangy backyard rhubarb.

While it's certainly not traditional - Grandma would never make pie like this! - it is absolutely fantastic, and a perfect cap to a backyard BBQ or a leisurely meal at the cottage, boat or trailer. Don't forget the ice cream!

No - Berry Strawberry Rhubarb Cake

This year has seen the development of a love/hate relationship between the human "inside" members of my family and the "outside" pseudopets that are the rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks living in the backyard. For some reason, we have seen nothing but trouble from the normally adorable and harmless furry weed-whackers - the early growing season saw them breaking open our bird feeder, noshing on my mom's pea vines and burrowing for flower bulbs, and now we've discovered the total decimation of our hostas (which we had to re-plant after a similar bunny banquet last year), marigolds and columbines as well as the uprooting (and eating) of all my heirloom carrots and beets! We knew it would only be a matter of time before the wildlife got hungry for our produce, but when we came across little baby Peter (or Petra, who knows) in the strawberry patch it was the last straw.

I put my foot down against my stepfamily's initial plans to serve rabbit for dinner (as much as I don't like what they're doing to the garden they do deserve to live), so eventually we jury-rigged some chicken wire cages around the most appealing veggies. Unfortunately it was too late to save the peas, beets, carrots and most of the strawberries... I hope the bunnies and squirrels had a good feast, since next year they won't be so lucky!

I was really disappointed by the disappearance of the strawberries - while they aren't my all time favourite fruit (that honour goes to both peaches and cherries), I did like their ever-present availability right outside the back door. Last year, when we first started growing the "day-neutral" strawberries in a small patch of dirt between rows of grapevines, they became the perfect snack during a break from weeding. I had great plans for the (new, expanded) patch this year - pies, jam and this cake, to name a few - especially since we also have a rhubarb plant that adores the Summer heat! I did buy a couple baskets from the farmers' market to make the preserves I planned on, but with no berries to be found for my cake I figured I'd just have to freeze the extra rhubarb and cut my losses.

Luckily, as I was getting out the bags for my chopped rhubarb stalks, I discovered a couple boxes of vegan Jell-O that I had bought downtown earlier in the year on a whim and forgotten about. I vaguely remembered seeing a cake recipe online with Jello as the principal flavouring agent, and decided to give it a go with this stuff (which for what it's worth tasted eerily like the "real deal").

What came out of the oven smelled like the strawberry or cherry-chip boxed cakes I remembered from childhood, and looked just as candyland-like. Lightly pockmarked by the dense bits of rhubarb and with a hint of texture from cornmeal, the crumb itself is bright pink with a vibrant fruity sweetness. I thought the "gel" factor of the powdered mix would cause a "gummy" problem in the final product, but neither I nor any of my taste testers detected one - rather, the crumb was light, moist and fluffy, staying that way for several days. The added sweetness from the dessert mix got tempered by the relatively sour rhubarb, making it agreeable for both childlike sweet teeth and more "adult" palates. Not only did it find favour as a plain "picnic cake", but when I drizzled a few pieces with dark chocolate for my mom to pack in her lunch I was told it was "dangerously good". I even re-purposed the very last bits of it by turning them into chocolate-filled sandwich cookies!

Drop - Dead Simple Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

While I usually pride myself on being a "preserving queen", and I'm obviously a huge fan of baking, whenever I get homemade gifts from the families I teach it's always special - not to mention delicious! This past June I was the lucky recipient of a big jar of strawberry preserves, which were just lightly sweetened and full of true berry flavour. Since I'm not huge on eating bread myself (gluten issues and lack of decent GF bread around here just make things a pain), I was stirring the occasional spoonful into oats but knew I wouldn't make it through the jar before it turned. Then, while I was making my Peppery Strawbarb Blossom Jam, it hit me - use it along with some of the rhubarb glut in the garden to make pie!

The resulting pastry's filling was perfect in flavour and consistency, invoking the feeling of being out in the strawberry fields outside the city. The mixture was viscous enough so that I didn't have to mess around with cooking a pie filling, and avoiding the chore of hulling and chopping a gazillion tiny Ontario strawberries was taken off my hands, making the pie as fast and easy to make as whipping up a relatively basic pie crust and popping everything in the oven. For an extra boost of flavour, texture and nutrition, I opted for a partial spelt flour dough adapted from DIY Vegan , which stayed incredibly tender and flaky while weaving easily into a lattice topping. 

I normally would have taken photos of a slice, but it's long gone... but I'm sure that the next time I have the opportunity to make a strawberry-rhubarb pie, I will take the opportunity to source out some chunky, all fruit preserves to "sweeten" the deal!

Yummy, Diabetic-Friendly (and fake!) Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

My favourite new breakfast spread has come to me courtesy of a large and unkempt rhubarb plant that Andrew's parents have along the side of their house. Knowing that his mother is a diabetic, my soon-to-be stepfather is diabetic, my mother is dieting before the wedding and I have blood sugar spikes like nobody's business as well as a nasty fat intolerance, the obvious strawberry-rhubarb pie (which I adore, by the way) was simply not practical.

This led to me scouring the internet for tasty and fairly healthy rhubarb recipes. After sifting through piles of cakes, pies and tarts, I finally stumbled upon one for Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam. Aha! I thought. This might work! Jam is good, the diabetics and I can utilize portion control and the glut of rhubarb can be used up! As I read through the recipe, I realized that I was in even more luck than I previously thought. No strawberries required, and I could use up a good ol' package of Sugar-Free Jell-O that had moved houses with us some months before. A few ingredient substitutions and one day later I had my very own (almost) calorie-free jam!

The original recipe is from http://www.allrecipes.com/, but I have modified it to be more diabetic- and diet-friendly for the family. I love it in an omelette sandwich in the morning! Yes, I know it's weird, but pssshhhhht.

Rhubarb-Strawberry Jam
4 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
1 1/2 cups Splenda granular
3/4 cup water
1 small package Sugar-Free strawberry or raspberry Jell-O (4-serving size)
2 tsp lemon juice

1. In a large saucepan or stockpot, stir together the fresh rhubarb and Splenda. Cover, and let stand overnight.
2. Bring the rhubarb, Splenda and water to a boil over medium heat.
3. Simmer, stirring, for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, and stir in Jell-O powder and lemon juice.
5. Keep refrigerated.

Yum!

Are You Ready For Some RHUBARB??

Yes? Good. Cause that's what you're getting.

No? Well, too bad. Cause that's what you're getting!

Things here have been a bit of a rhubarbpalooza recently - not only was my plant belching forth a larger (and faster-appearing) yield of the pink and green stalks than normal thanks to the hot and humid weather, but I still had a rather large freezer bag of the stuff from last year's cull waiting in the wings. Something had to be done - really, the "mother plant" was beginning to scare not only the dog and local wildlife, but me as well! I just started pulling stalks one by one and processing them into everything I could think of. Most of the goodies were fairly standard fare - muffins and quickbreads - but I did manage to sneak in two more "off the wall" recipes which were both major hits too! I know the rhubarb glut isn't my problem alone either - I mean really, there's a whole S.O.S. Kitchen Challenge this month with it hosted by Kim, who writes Affairs of Living, and Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs.

Luckily, there are a fair amount of rhubarb fans around me that can help stem the onslaught of this tart, versatile veggie. My thanks go out to all of the brave souls that took the treats off my hands!
Recipes and more after the jump!

My, My, It's [Canadian] Pie

Happy Canada Day!

Today is the birthday of two things I hold dear... my country and favourite land of Canada, and my very own blog! To celebrate I've put a few red (and sometimes white) things on the menu, namely a delicious and almost completely local strawberry-rhubarb pie!

To keep with the festive red colour scheme today, I also have to show you my latest fashionista move: a brilliant red dye job courtesy of Valentinos (and a cut from Christina!). Thanks guys!

Now, foodage. I scored BIG at the farmer's market last weekend. Like, total no-holds-barred, wallet-emptying big. Instead of getting a few baskets of assorted fruit and a locally cured salami for a certain challenge, I came home with the salami, local provolone (also for the challenge), and 3 lbs of fresh, bright strawberries. Yes, 3 pounds. And no clue what to do with them all, other than that compote from a couple days ago and a pie or two. Not to mention the fact that we still had half a pound from the week before in our fridge (I disposed of that in a more direct manner... *chomp*).

So, pie it was then! I actually wound up making three in the long run, and each of them were stuffed to the brim not only with those precious jewels of summertime but also with super-local rhubarb (yes, the garden was proliferating yet again!). The crust was partial Red Fife flour (local again!). So what wasn't all-Canadian in this patriotic pastry? Ah, well that would be the secret ingredient... the one that caused my dad to ask just what I did to the crust to make it so amazing.

The answer? A sliced banana lined the bottom of each pastry shell. Oh yes, I did it. The banana forms an ever so slightly creamy and custardy layer between the fresh and slightly tart pink berries and the plain, semi-salty and rich crust. It was definitely a shot-in-the-dark hit, and I knew after the first one I made that it was carving it's way solidly into my pie-making repetoire. My mom's pie gilded the lily a tad on top of the triple-fruit goodness too, since I added chocolate chips to her pie's strawberry-rhubarb filling! Hey, she was pining for chocolate, and who am I to tell my mom no??

So enjoy this pie, and all the other ones at this month's "You Want Pies With That?" event!

Strawberry - Banana Rhubarb Pie
Serves 12
3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup cold butter
1/4 cup shortening
4 - 5 tbsp cold water
3 tbsp tapioca flour
1/3 cup super-fine sugar
13 oz strawberries, quartered
15 oz rhubarb, chopped into 3/4"-1" pieces
1 large ripe banana, sliced into rounds
Egg wash (optional)

1. In a bowl, whisk together flours, salt and sugar.
2. Cut the butter and shortening in until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. 1 tbsp at a time, gradually add water until a dough forms (you may not need it all).
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead 1-2 times to bring the mixture together, then wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 425F.
6. Roll out pastry, fitting half into a 9" pie pan.
7. Combine the tapioca flour and sugar and sprinkle over strawberries and rhubarb. Let stand 5 minutes.
8. Layer banana slices evenly on the bottom pastry crust.
9. Pour the strawberry-rhubarb mixture over the bananas and smooth to an even layer.
10. Roll out and cut remaining pastry into strips.
11. Form a lattice-work pattern overtop of the filling and crimp the edges with a fork to seal.
12. Brush lattice with egg wash if desired.Bake pie on the bottom rack of the oven for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F and cook for another 45 minutes, until browned and bubbling.
13. Allow to cool thoroughly before slicing.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 189.5
Total Fat: 9.6 g
Cholesterol: 13.6 mg
Sodium: 38.7 mg
Total Carbs: 24.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.6 g
Protein: 2.4 g

Chocolate Rhubarb Preserve - Toast Topper #80

Chocolate Rhubarb Preserve. It's an unusual combination: 70% cocoa chocolate, local honey and sour homegrown rhubarb, but I promise you the sweet-tart flavours willing have you licking the spoon!

If you asked me what to pair with rhubarb, I guarantee you that dark chocolate would not be one of the things I would list. Berries, raisins, honey and sugar, sure. But rhubarb has such a pervasive sour punch and never-ending stringiness that adding another bitter flavour just seemed... wrong.

That said, leave it to the brilliance of food bloggers to come up with something incredible. Skoraq Cooks had posted a recipe with just this pairing a few years ago that not only paired sour rhubarb and bitter chocolate, but added molasses as well. Since I was making this for my mom (not a huge rhubarb fan, but a lover of chocolate) I swapped out the relatively bitter molasses for local honey, and added tart cherry juice (from Cheribundi's lovely gift pack) for a hint of fruitiness.

As the rhubarb, cherry juice, honey and sugar cook down, the sweet-sour flavour comes into full force. The sugar also somewhat caramelizes, adding a rich depth of flavour to just the rhubarb alone. What got interesting was when I added the chocolate and salt. All of a sudden the mixture went from "strawberry rhubarb jam minus the strawberry" to something so balanced that it almost didn't make it to the toast. In fact, both Mom and I had a spoonful from the pot while it was still warm, and would definitely use it as a topping for cheesecake or chocolate ice cream. Here's to experimenting, and cheers to chocolate for making everything better!

Chocolate Strawberry Sandwich Cookies

Nothing feels better to a frugal freak like me than being able to use up every last scrap of a recipe. During one of our family BBQ shindigs recently, there was so much food that not many people made it to dessert - and as a result we had a half batch of No - Berry Strawberry Rhubarb Cake taking up valuable fridge space! I also had some leftover Luxuriously Healthy and Sweet Potato Frosting
in the freezer and fridge, so I tried to figure out a way to combine the delectable flavours of chocolate and strawberries without making cake balls. I like cake balls as much as the next person, but they're tedious to do and involve coating in some form of chocolate... and I didn't feel like getting more dishes dirty than necessary. Besides, I already had some cake balls in the freezer to coat (which I still haven't done!).

That said, I liked the idea of mashing up the cake and re-forming it into something else. If you remember my Miser Bars from eons ago (and my unposted, yet photographed Double Raspberry Brownie Cookies), I followed the same basic idea - baked good + liquid to make a dough, scoop and bake. For these particular ones, I wound up essentially clearing out leftover dairy from the fridge, using plain, non-fat yoghurt, cream cheese and a splash of milk. Before they baked off, I sprinkled the domes of re-purposed dough with crushed arrowroot cookies (from the "get rid of it" pile from the end of the school year). 

Surprisingly, they turned out remarkably well - soft and cake-like cookies with a little chew, sandwiching creamy chocolate frosting. The strawberry-chocolate combo was a winner too, not being too sweet or too bitter. The cookies got bonus points for being one-bowlers, and excellent travelers to boot!

Have you ever done something like this? How frugal are you in the kitchen?

Orange Rhubarb Sauce

Orange Rhubarb Sauce is thick, tangy and perfect either on its own or over your favourite breakfast treat. Try it on pancakes or waffles!

Ah, rhubarb. In my backyard, we have no fewer than 6 plants strewn across various fence lines and corners, and quite often the bulk of the tart, stringy stalks are left to go to waste (one of the family members is against using them for food if you can believe that). However, the plant I call my own (and have for the last 13 years) is the grand daddy of the yard and gets put into a variety of tasty things for the shelf and the freezer. One application I hadn't really thought of for this vegetable was to make a "butter" with it, a la apple butter. Food in Jars posted a recipe that was not only a rhubarb butter, but with orange flavour too. The orange threw another curveball for me - would the tangy citrus clash with the sharper tartness of the rhubarb? Would it work well? There was only one way to find out!

Well, I learned a few things in this experiment - the rhubarb mixture does not get quite to spreadable consistency despite hours of cooking (and I was nervous about burning it after 2 hours of work). However, it was a thick applesauce consistency which was perfectly fine with me! Secondly, the orange flavour actually pairs exceedingly well with the rhubarb, and I amplified it by adding the orange zest to the pot as well. While the recipe didn't make a ton, it made the perfect amount for our family to use and appreciate, and I will definitely be making more! Mom claimed it was best on roasted chicken legs or pork loin, but I mixed it into oatmeal for a zip. It truly is versatile, and that gives it an extra push into the "win" category for me!

If you're looking for an alternative to the run of the mill fruit applications out there, give this orange rhubarb sauce a try. Who knows, maybe you'll finally have a reprieve from the strawberry rhubarb fad - just don't forget about those strawberries, they need love too!

Chocolate-Raspberry Yoghurt Cookies for a Berry-ful #SundaySupper

Summer berry season has begun! I honestly can't believe it's June already - three weeks of school left and then I have to say farewell to the family I've come to know and love over the past few months. Yes, we've had our differences, but I've never had a better job!

These cookies came about as a result of a happy combination of events last week - finding our kitchen with far too much yoghurt on hand than we would get through before it went "off", I started scouting the Net for flash-in-the-pan muffin recipes using a good amount of it. What I found was even more unique and a far more clever use of the dairy which even fit snugly into the head office's prescribed menu plan - La Fuji Mama's Blueberry Yogurt Cookies. Of course, I used the peach yoghurt we had in place of the plain called for (cutting down the sugar to compensate) and instead of the blueberries (which the kids aren't fans of for some sad reason), a couple containers of raspberries folded their way into the moist batter instead. To keep with my official "school nutritionist" designation, I bumped up the fibre a little bit with wheat bran and for extra decadence threw in chocolate chips. I found the batter extremely wet to deal with after baking a "test" cookie, so modified the baking directions a little in order to have them turn out more "cookie" like. All the kids - from age 2-12 - devoured them, to the teachers' amazement (sometimes they don't trust my new, "outside the box" recipes). I'm so lucky the kids love fruit - and are adventurous eaters!

This week’s #SundaySupper theme is Summer Berries, hosted by Nicole from Daily Dish Recipes. Our group (as always) has come up with some truly awe-inspiring berry recipes, both sweet and savoury, including desserts, drinks and of course condiments!

Breakfast & Brunch

• Angel Food French Toast with Blueberry Lemon Sauce by Neighborfood
• Blueberry Lemon Baked Doughnuts by Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Blueberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal by Pies and Plots
• Overnight Strawberry Stuffed French Toast by In The Kitchen With KP
• The Best Blueberry Muffin by Supper For a Steal

Sweet & Savory Berry Recipes

• Herbed Pork Tenderloin with Wild Blueberry Sauce by Noshing With The Nolands
• Red, White, and Blue Chicken Salad by MarocMama
• BBQ Strawberry Pizza by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Jams, Jelly, Sauces & More

• Blackberry Ketchup by Healthy. Delicious
• Four-Berry Jelly by Blueberries and Blessings
• Mixberry Jam with Merlot by The Urban Mrs
• Roasted Strawberry Tarragon Butter by Gourmet Drizzles
• Strawberry Freezer Jam by Growing Up Gabel

Desserts

• Strawberry Crumb Bars by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• No-Bake Frozen Berrylicious Cracker Cake by Shockingly Delicious
• Strawberry Cream Cheese Dessert by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar Chips by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Lattice-Top Blueberry Pie by Hip Foodie Mom
• Caramelized White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake by Vintage Kitchen
• Strawberry Shortcakes by Juanita’s Cocina
• Berrylicious Ice Cream by NinjaBaking.com
• Stove Top Berry Crumble by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Strawberry Yogurt Popsicle by Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Peggy’s Cove Blueberry Grunt by Kudos Kitchen By Renee
• Chocolate-Raspberry Yoghurt Cookies by What Smells So Good?
• Strawberry Ice Cream by Basic N Delicious
• Financiers with a Summer Berry Salad by The Lovely Pantry
• Strawberry Pretzel Salad by Curious Cuisiniere
• Strawberry-Chocolate Frozen Yogurt Parfaits by The Weekend Gourmet
• Summer Berry Salad with a Honey Citrus Dressing by Runner’s Tales
• Strawberry Pop-Tart Ice Cream by Foxes Love Lemons
• Strawberries with Cannoli Cream  by Comfy Cuisine
• Almond Cake with Blackberry Mascarpone Filling by Ruffles & Truffles
• Oregon Strawberry Sundae {Dairyfree} by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Blackberry Pie w/Brandied Whipped Cream by Webicurean
• Vo-Vo’s Famous Strawberry Cheesecake by Family Foodie
• Raspberry Mousse by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Mini Strawberry Cheesecake with Walnut Crust by Soni’s Food
• Salted Caramel Strawberries With a Crunchy Nut Coating by Sue”s Nutrition Buzz
• Strawberry Blueberry Stuffed Monkey Bread by Daily Dish Recipes

Cocktails, Drinks & Smoothies

• Berry Berry Smoothie by Momma’s Meals
• Blueberry Infused Vodka by Big Bear’s Wife
• Blueberry Moscow Mule with Homemade Ginger Beer by I Run For Wine
• Goji Berry Martini by Magnolia Days
• Irish Cobbler by girlichef

Party Planning

• Recipes + Tips to Create A Summer Berry Cocktail Bar by An Appealing Plan

We'd love if you joined our #SundaySupper chat on Twitter too: we’ll be tweeting all day and sharing recipes. Then at 7:00pm EST we'll start our weekly chat. Please jump in anytime and join us! To join in, just follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, and remember to include it in your tweets. You can also check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more delicious recipes and photos.

Carrot Oatmeal Raisin Cookies #SundaySupper

I am very leery of declaring that spring has arrived... being an April baby (along with my sister), I've heard far too many retellings of the snowstorm that occurred the day before I was born, and definitely remember being snowsuit clad the week my sister entered the world three years later. That said, this weekend has been double-digit (Celsius) for the first time this year, and the rest of the week is supposed to follow suit (fingers crossed). The family has been out gardening, preparing the beds for eventual seedlings and direct-sowing, and I even got my butt in gear to start my tomato, squash and nasturtiums in my indoor greenhouse this week.

Now of course, all this glorious weather has been short-lived, and there's no way we'll even be seeing backyard rhubarb for at least another month or two. Therefore, we're still embracing the freezer stockade of greens, berries and peaches, plus the "storage crops" like carrots, cabbage, onions and potatoes for a lot of our dishes, slotting in (imported) lettuce, hothouse tomatoes, citrus and berries to brighten up the plate. I always think of carrots in the springtime for some reason, probably due to the Easter carrot-cake tradition, and it's a wonder that I don't usually turn orange by May after eating them for months!

Ironically, as the days get warmer and sunnier I become more prone to roasting and sauteeing the roots, which brings out the sweetness hidden deep within their cores after months of storage. Since growing my own heirlooms every year, I'm spoiled when it comes to the flavours I enjoy raw - nothing beats the crisp, bright and lightly sugary snap of a bright red (or purple, yellow, white, black orange...) carrot freshly pulled from the (pesticide-free) dirt, rinsed with the garden hose and devoured immediately. So roasting away I go, and often I'll do a whole 3-lb bag at once to portion and freeze for simple side dishes, sauce extenders or last minute stir fry additions.

When I was given a copy of my school's "classic" carrot cookie recipe to make for Easter, I immediately started thinking of ways to elevate the recipe from it's rather spartan, highly sugared, slightly chewy-cakey roots to something worthy of a spring cookie tray. I pulled a couple tricks out of my back pocket that I had learned from years of oatmeal cookie experimenting - namely, chilling the dough as long as possible so as to rehydrate the oats and flaxseed - and used pureed roasted carrots in lieu of baby food for a thicker moisture component. A few extra swaps later and I had vegan, bite sized drop cookies perfect for Peter Cottontail (and his brood).

What I love about this cookie is that it's a great spice cookie open to possibility in terms of additions and twists. Don't like raisins? Add craisins, nuts, coconut, white chocolate... whatever floats your boat. Personally, my next step is going to be supersizing the cookies into whoopie-pie like rounds for cream cheese ice cream sandwiches. Oh, to think of ice cream weather!

Spring has arrived at the #SundaySupper table this week, and along with our host Renee from Renee’s Kitchen Adventures our gang is sharing recipes to welcome the season to 2016!

Breakfast:

• Chicken Sausage, Apple and Cheddar Breakfast Bake by Renee's Kitchen Adventures
• Chive and Cheese Quiche by An Appealing Plan
• Lavender Scones by Feeding Big and More
• Lemon Raspberry Baked Donuts by Grumpy's Honeybunch
• Matcha Donuts by The Ninja Baker
• Whole Wheat Lemon Berry Coffee Cake with Lemon Glaze by A Mindful Mom

Appetizers:

• Artichoke Lemon Hummus by Food Done Light
• Asparagus and Goat Cheese Tart by Baking Sense
• Butter Lettuce and Spring Radish Salad by Hardly A Goddess
• Ceviche with Potato and Pea Shoot Salad by Caroline's Cooking
• Roasted Strawberry Popsicles by Brunch-n-Bites
• Rustic Wrapped Tart with Ramps by Delaware Girl Eats

Beverages:

• An Unconventional Mojito by Monica's Table
• Caribbean Cream Cocktail by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Cucumber Grapefruit Basil Mojito by The Crumby Cupcake
• Limoncello Raspberry Sangria by Eat, Drink and Be Tracy
• Spiced Rhubarb Champagne Cocktail by Hezzi-D Books and Cooks
• Vanilla Lavender Limeade by The Tip Toe Fairy
• Very Berry Springtime Spritzer by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Violet Hour by Wholistic Woman

Main Dish:

• Cheese Tortellini with Herbed Ricotta and Fava Beans by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Gnocchi Primavera with Spring Asparagus and Peas by La Bella Vita Cucina
• Levantine Fattoush Salad by Curious Cuisiniere
• One Pan Spicy Lemon Chicken with Tomatoes by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Orecchiette with Peas, Pecorino and Onions by Cooking Chat
• Pasta with Peas by Manu's Menu
• Pesto Shrimp and Zoodles Oh My! by My Imperfect Kitchen
• Ramp and Mushroom Frittata by Pies and Plots
• Spring Lamb Skewers with Roasted Baby Carrots by Food Lust People Love
• Spring Salad with Scallops and Strawberry Vinaigrette by My World Simplified
• Veggie Pasta Primavera by Momma’s Meals

Side Dish:

• Asparagus, Goat Cheese, and Rhubarb Salad by The Texan New Yorker
• Green Peas with Onion and Bacon by Magnolia Days
• Minty Pea Farro Spring Salad by She Loves Biscotti
• Roasted Asparagus and Mushroom Quinoa Pilaf by Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Dessert:

• Amazing Coconut Cake by A Baking Legacy
• Berry and Honey Whipped Ricotta by Family Foodie
• Caramelized Black Figs and Walnuts with Mascarpone by Un Assaggio of Food, Wine & Marriage
• Carrot Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by What Smells So Good?
• Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cookies by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Colorado Crème by Cooking on the Ranch
• Honey Blossoms by Get the Good Stuff!
• Hot Milk Sponge Cake by Hey What’s for Dinner Mom?
• Lemon Scented Choux with Rhubarb Ginger Pastry Cream by The Finer Cookie
• Meyer Lemon Bars by The Chef Next Door
• No-Bake Berry Greek Yogurt Pie by An Italian in my Kitchen
• Rhubarb Meringue Pie by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Spring Cookie Bouquet by The Freshman Cook
• Strawberry Cheesecake Puffs by Moore or Less Cooking
• Strawberry Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream by Tramplingrose
• Strawberry Moscato Sorbet by Seduction in the Kitchen
• The Black Beast by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Plus Spring Vegetable Minestrone and more Spring Recipes from Sunday Supper Movement

 
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement

A Crumble Bumble

Okay... so you know how the cardinal rule of baking, or making anything from a list of instructions for that matter, is to read the recipe all the way through? Yeah... well, truth be told, half the time I take that "golden rule" as a whole lot of hooey (love that term!), and so - I don't. And you know what? Most of the time, no one's the wiser.

Simple Rhubarb Pie

 The simplicity of a rhubarb pie is the epitome of late spring and early summer.

Happy blog-day to me! It is crazy to think this little hobby project of mine has been around for 14 years - and in that amount of time I've gone through more rounds of school than I can count, began and ended a career as a Home Economics teacher and definitely improved my cooking, baking and photography skills. Thanks to those of you who have come along for the ride, and to those of you that are just dropping in! 

Now, in the spirit of my off-and-on tradition of presenting a Canada Day / blog anniversary pie, I bring you a quintessentially local one, made with only rhubarb from my backyard. Normally, you'll see rhubarb blends in pies - strawberry, blueberry, and my favourite: cherry. But my mentor and colleague specifically asked for a rhubarb pie this year, as as I was leaving my position at the school I made it my mission to present her with one as my going-away gift. 

Now, for the uninitiated, rhubarb is a stalky vegetable that (at least around here) grows like weeds, is tart and slightly two-faced as the leaves are toxic. It is incredibly versatile, making it's way into sweet and savoury applications throughout the year. To stand alone in pie, though, it needed a decent dose of sugar - making it unlike our standard apple pies where its fruit + pastry without anything else. However, the key is to add only enough sugar to take away the tannic sourness without completely obscuring the flavour! Because this was a special occasion pie, I upped the ante with a sprinkle of coarse sugar on the lattice as well.

You absolutely need to bake this pie on a tray though - the rhubarb has a lot of moisture and it will bubble over! Once it's cooled and chilled though, it slices beautifully and is the perfect foil for a scoop of ice cream.

 

Japanese Chicken Curry #SundaySupper

Homemade Japanese Curry Chicken WIN! The perfect balance of savoury, sweet, tangy and bitter, packed with umami and 100% from scratch. No roux, no prefab curry powder, and even gluten free to boot!

I know I've gone on and on and on about it time and again, but if there's one type of dish my mom can't get enough of, it's curry. I don't just mean your turmeric-stained yellow stuff either - although that is certainly on the "yes" list. Pick any curry-making region you can think of, and you can bet Mom will want a taste.

Our first experience with Japanese curry was actually about a year ago, when we went to a sushi and Japanese cuisine restaurant for my birthday. After ordering what was simply labeled "chicken curry" on the menu, Mom was surprised to receive a huge, steaming bowl of thick, dark and intensely aromatic stew with chunks of carrot, potato and chicken alongside a bowl of rice. A few spoonfuls later and she was sold - but we had no idea how to go about making it at home. After all, curry powder is British-Indian, not even vaguely Japanese in style, right?

Well, it turns out that Japanese curry is actually more or less based in a cube mix rather than an ornate blend of spices. Unfortunately, finding that pre-made roux is all but impossible around me, and I had no idea how to recreate the bouillon-like medley. However, I couldn't leave my dream of recreating one of my mom's favourte meals go cold, so I began Googling right after that fateful dinner, finally landing on No Recipes. There, I found a completely from-scratch formula for what I was looking for, along with a handy hint - the key to a really great Japanese curry is in the caramelized onions. Well, those I can do, and I do a lot.

Of course, I did modify a few things along the way - I didn't have apples at home, so an Asian pear stood in admirably. I made my own Chunou sauce too, because there was no way my "white bread" superstore would have heard of it if I haven't. I also left out the peas (forgot about them on grocery day) and decided to thicken the works with Veloutine instead of a roux (yeah, sacrilege, I know) because I'm lazy and didn't want to babysit and watch another pot. I've provided both methods, so go with your preference.

More #MothersDay treats for #SundaySupper are below. Our host this week is Amy from My Wolrd Simplified

Chocolate Treats

• Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake by Pies and Plots
• Toasted Almond Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies by Helpful Homemade
• Triple Chocolate Strawberry Cake Truffles by The Freshman Cook
• White Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• White Chocolate-Filled Snickerdoodles by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes

Entrees

• Double Pork Stuffed Pork Roast by Food Lust People Love
• Italian Stuffed Caprese Chicken by My World Simplified
• Japanese Chicken Curry by What Smells So Good?
• Lightened-Up Shrimp Scampi by My Savory Spoon

Sides and Salads

• Mom’s Easy Clam Dip by Cricket’s Confections
• Salmon and Capers Panzanella Salad by And She Cooks
• Swedish Creamy Potato Casserole (Jansson’s Frestelse) by Sunday Supper Movement

Sweets

• Berry Chantilly Trifle by The Crumby Cupcake
• Blackberry Cobbler with Brown Sugar Pecan Biscuits by Soulfully Made
• Lemon Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries by Our Good Life
• Lemon Cooler by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Mom’s Southwest Georgia Pound Cake by Family Around The Table
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp by Caroline’s Cooking
• Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote by Wholistic Woman

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

"Spring" Cleaning

Andrew gave me a huge bunch of rhubarb the other day, and though I have plans to make jam with a portion of it, there is so much left over that I lucked out and got to pick a new recipe to make! Being as much of a strawberry-rhubarb fan as I am, I knew that it would have to be a player. I originally wanted to make the truffles that I spotted over at Bounteous Bites, especially since I had all the ingredients, but seeing as I had just made another batch of cherry-rosewater cake balls with Andrew I wasn't too keen on doing more chocolate-coating work just now, especially since I'm still nice and oh-so-sick. Comfort food is where it's at, people, and today it came in the form of a warm, gooey, pudding made from the spoils of more deep-freezer diving.

This is a great, healthy (and pretty much any diet-friendly) breakfast or mid-morning snack all on it's own (especially when warm - cold it's a bit too tart for my tastes), but I'd bet that over rice pudding for dessert or even Challah bread with a cup of tea it would be a sure-fire hit. Any berry would work well in this recipe, too... I just happened to have a gigantic zipper bag filled with last summer's halved strawberries in my freezer. Mind you, I have bags of cranberries, peaches, blueberries, pineapple chunks, "mixed berries" and cherries too... come next shopping trip I'm going to pick up some pectin and make freezer jam (if I remember, that is!).

If you are someone who doesn't do Splenda for whatever reason (and please don't innundate me with emails or comments on it's health dangers), simply swap it out for an equal measure of sugar (superfine or "fruit" sugar will work best here).

Berry Rhubarb Pudding
Serves 4
2 cups diced rhubarb
2/3 cup Splenda granular
1 cup water
1 cup frozen strawberries
2 cups water
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

1. Combine rhubarb, Splenda and water in a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes.
3. Stir in berries and 2 cups water and cook 5 minutes longer.
4. Whisk together cornstarch and remaining cold water, then slowly add to the simmering mixture.
5. Cook, stirring, until thickened - about 5 minutes.
6. Serve warm or cover surface directly with plastic wrap and chill.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 40.5
Total Fat: 0.2 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 3.5 mg
Total Carbs: 13.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.9 g
Protein: 0.7 g
WW Points: .5

For Simplicity's Sake

There isn't much I can possibly say about this compote, other than it's absolutely delicious. Devilishly tart (though you can add more sugar or even honey if it's too sour for you), the tang of the rhubarb melts smoothly into the Summery sweet strawberries and creamy apples, turning the three ingredients into a chunky, rich mixture that you could add to pretty much anything. I stuffed some into a Pop-Tart like pastry that I made with leftover pie dough scraps (I promise the pie is coming soon!), but I have to admit my favourite method of enjoyment is off a rather large spoon.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Apple Compote
24 two-tablespoon servings
1 lb rhubarb, chopped roughly
2 large apples, diced (peel if desired)
6 large strawberries, quartered
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar

1. Combine rhubarb, apples, and water in a sauce pan, bring to a boil.
2. Add sugar, and simmer until pulpy and thickened.
3. Do not overcook as the fruits will turn to mush!

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 23.8
Total Fat: 0.1 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 0.8 mg
Total Carbs: 6.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.9 g
Protein: 0.2 g

What Seymour Made!

Remember Seymour? You know, the weird flower-head growing out of my garden's giant rhubarb plant? Yeah, I named him Seymour, and then proceeded to behead him (the flowering stem is inedible, and saps the nutrients from the rest of the plant... it had to be done!) and kidnap some of the "offspring" (read: stalks) to make these muffins! I figured that with the Spring gifts of the earth clearly being bestowed on us this year, it would be heresy to let it pass me by! I heard the call of the oven and I had

I had a triple berry blend in my freezer and a blackening banana on the countertop, so they became prime candidates for muffiny inclusion too. Then it was just dry + wet, and into the oven went the fruit, veggie (cause you know that's what rhubarb is!) and whole grain batter-filled paper cups. I then had to resign myself to waiting... for what seemed like forever... while these baked up, perfuming the whole house with a sweet bran aroma. When the time came and I pulled them from the oven, I saw...

SUNKEN MUFFINS

Yes, despite using a muffin recipe with the most basic of ingredients, the weight of the berries and rhubarb overpowered the strength of the batter. Even though they passed the "toothpick test", to be extra safe I broke one apart. Sure enough it was cooked through, just full of stuff. If I was going to serve these to company (they'd probably make delicious brunch fare) I'd simply fill the void with something like a slightly sweetened strawberry cream cheese - you can't go wrong with that!

If you have fresh berries, I highly reccommend using those to cut down on the sinkage. Likewise, if all you have is frozen rhubarb, toss it in a little bit of flour and add the bits to the batter while they're still frozen.

Banana - Berry Rhubarb Muffins
Makes 14
1 large banana, mashed
1/2 cup skim milk
2 tbsp nonfat plain yogurt
3 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tbsp vanilla
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup All-Bran cereal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1 cup chopped rhubarb (fresh or frozen unthawed)
2/3 cup assorted berries (fresh or frozen unthawed)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F, line muffin cups with wrappers or lightly grease.
2. In a large bowl, combine banana, milk, yogurt, oil, vanilla, sugar and All-Bran, mixing well. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, whisk together flours, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. Stir dry mixture gently into the wet ingredients to just moisten, then fold in the rhubarb and berries until the flour is just mixed through. Do not beat.
5. Portion into the prepared tins and bake 30 minutes.
6. Cool in the tin 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 123.6
Total Fat: 3.3 g
Cholesterol: 0.2 mg
Sodium: 14.4 mg
Total Carbs: 23.2 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.7 g
Protein: 1.9 g

I still have a glorious glut of the stuff in my garden, with an entire season ahead of me! I'm hoping I can find enough nibblers to test out some ideas I have going!

Peppery Strawbarb Blossom Jam Toast Topper #69

Strawberry and rhubarb jam has, I believe, become my new favourite flavour of Toast Topper. I'm not an overly sweet person when it comes to fruit (I love tart cherries and raspberries, for example), especially in the summer when it's a billion degrees out. Luckily, our garden is bursting with rhubarb, which tempers the saccharine nature of the perfect local berries finally making it to market. 

Of course, it is jam we're talking about, and when I make preserves for holiday gift giving, the sugar does play a certain role in that respect. Most pectin demands sugar to work, and while I'm always playing with low-sugar options like Pomona's and Ball's, but sometimes having the convenience of perfectly proportioned ingredients trumps fancy-dancy fine tooling. Since I can a lot of things at a time to conserve energy (water bath canners take forever to heat up!), by jam #4 I'm getting ready to call it a day. Not willing to toss the ingredients into the freezer for another day, thereby admitting defeat, I pulled out one of my fail-safe jamming secrets when time is short - sugar with pectin already added and mixed in. Using the bag of that set up a ton of strawberries and rhubarb, and thanks to the natural thickening properties of rhubarb, the mix gelled more than the directions say it will (meaning less sugar per serving!). 

Since it still seemed a bit too sweet for my taste, and mom loves the combination of strawberries and black pepper, I chopped up a handful of my beautiful, zippy homegrown nasturtium blossoms and tossed them in with a dash of white pepper for interest! The floral peppery-ness really amps up the fresh flavours of the berries, and is definitely something I will continue to do!

Are you a fan of savoury and sweet combinations (like pepper and strawberries)?

Shared with Gluten Free Fridays 

Gilded Bluebarb Jam (Toast Topper #62) #SundaySupper

I've been slow to get into the canning kitchen this year. Between all the nitty gritty details of finishing the school year and jumping right into Summer Camp counsellor duty, the weekends provided barely enough time for me to get to the gym, shop for groceries and prepare for the next week! I knew that August (which I booked off of work) would be my great "catch up" month, letting me tend the garden, clean my closets, travel out to my dad's trailer and get preserving!

Canning in the height of Summer is a bit of a catch-22, especially this year where we've had some ridiculously warm weeks. I was finally driven to drag out the beast of a water bath canner after having not one, but two bags of fruit leap out of the freezer onto the floor when I went to grab some bread. I had carefully prepped and measured peaches, plumcots, strawberries and mangoes as I picked them up from farmers markets or supermarket sales, and eventually the freezer just got too full - a fact which was accompanied by a somewhat insistent nagging poking from Mother Dearest to "please do something with all that stuff in the freezer!". Given that I had bags of local wild blueberries (scored at an excellent price from the market) that I had IQF'ed recently and a seemingly neverending supply of rhubarb in the backyard (my stepfather bought two - yes, two - new plants this year to add to the three we already had), I figured bluebarb would be my first canning foray.

Of course, I could never just make blueberry-rhubarb jam. Not the traditional way. The first thing I did was choose a no-sugar-needed pectin as my thickener, allowing me to slash the sugar and allow the true fruity flavour of the berries to come through. I had a little jar of decadent, local honey in my pantry that I had bought from the  Brickworks Farmers' Market downtown and used that to add a flavourful, bitter-sweet note to the mixture, and completed the sweetness trifecta with a few packets of Truvia. For kicks (and because I was canning some of this for holiday gift giving), I sprinkled in some gold flakes, lending an opulence to the jars as they sat on the counter, cooling. 

The two jars I didn't process went into the fridge - where, upon being discovered by Mom and Grandma, they met an untimely demise on home baked bread. The only thing that made this better was a smear of creamy peanut butter underneath! 

This week, #SundaySupper is sharing recipes for canning, freezing and all types of preserving the goodness of our gardens and markets this Summer season. Our hosts this week are Stacy of Food Lust People Love and Heather at Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
- thanks ladies!

Check out what we're saving up below:

Canning

• Blackberry Chia Seed Jam from Books -n- Cooks
• Cherry Lemon Jam from Food Lust People Love
• Chocolate Blackberry Preserves from The Redhead Baker
• Gilded Bluebarb Jam from What Smells So Good?
• Hamburger Dill Chips from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Piri Piri Hot Sauce from Curious Cuisiniere
• Southwestern Salsa from The Freshman Cook
• Spiced Peach Jam from Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Spiced Vanilla Rhubarb Jam from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Strawberry Balsamic Syrup from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Watermelon Butter from Palatable Pastime

 
Dehydrating

• Blueberry Peach Fruit Roll-Ups from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Dried Pineapple from Take A Bite Out of Boca

 
Fermentation

• Fermented Spicy Daikon Spears + A Cocktail from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Simple Pickled Cabbage from Simply Healthy Family

 
Freezing

• How to Freeze Blueberries from Pies and Plots
• Peach Crisp from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Roast Tomato Soup with Basil-Butter Croutons from Caroline's Cooking
• Summer Veggies from Momma's Meals

 
Infusing

• Raspberry Vinegar from Magnolia Days

 
Pickling

• Black Radish Pickles from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Bread & Butter Pickles from Adventures in All Things Food
• Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles from Life Tastes Good
• Mustard Pickles from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Pickled Cherries with Five Spices from Nosh My Way

 
Preserving in oil or butter

• Garden Herb Butter from An Appealing Plan
• Spinach and Pistachio Pesto from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen

 
And for even more help check out  Food Preservation Tips from Sunday Supper Movement

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on Twitter every Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7 p.m. ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat.

To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.