I love rhubarb and use it in a multitude of ways. Being a lover of lemon curd, I figured I would also like rhubarb curd so I set about developing and testing a recipe for it. This delightful creamy curd can be used in the same ways as lemon curd – sandwiching cakes together, spreading on scones, filling cookies, eclairs, macarons, and tarts, stirring into (or topping on) Greek yogurt for quick parfaits, and, well, its uses are only limited by your imagination! Continue reading Rhubarb Curd Recipe→
The sweet little Lily of the Valley, with its dainty bell-shaped flowers, has long been a favorite flower of mine. Many, many years ago, a very dear friend of mine had a cottage on the shores of Rosebank (now Stratford), PEI. Every spring, I’d make the trek to the cottage to pick a couple of bouquets of these fragrant flowers and there would be a posy on the dining room table and another on my desk at work. I was thrilled when the offer came for me to dig up a clump of the Lily of the Valley roots from the prolific crop by the cottage front step. I transplanted them at our family home. A cottage and two house builds later and transplants of the lilies have occurred at each property, all derived from the same clump of lilies that came from the Rosebank cottage. When I see the lilies bloom each spring, particularly by the cottage front step, I am reminded of sweet memories of another cottage long ago and its owner who is no longer with us. Continue reading Lily of the Valley Afternoon Tea→
We have a good-sized patch of rhubarb and, every year, I develop one or more new recipes using it. I recently paid a visit to Upstreet Craft Brewing in Charlottetown in preparation for a story on this brewery and, lo and behold, they have a strawberry-rhubarb beer. This got me to thinking that I could combine the rhubarb with this beer to make a tasty barbeque sauce which is just what I did!
Rhubarb and Beer Barbeque Sauce
Now, this barbeque sauce takes a little time to make but the end result is so worth it. Just like making a traditional fine tomato sauce, the key is in letting the sauce simmer to allow the flavors to mix and mingle and get to know each other – very social just like Upstreet’s Rhuby Social beer! The sauce is a mix of savory, tart, and sweet, especially with the addition of crushed pineapple that goes well with rhubarb.
Porkchops with Rhubarb and Beer Barbeque Sauce
This barbeque sauce is particularly good on pork and chicken but also pairs well with burgers. This is my signature barbeque sauce for this summer. I use my immersion blender in the sauce but, if you like it more thick and chunky, leave it just as it is. I hope you enjoy it.
Porkchops with Rhubarb and Beer Barbeque Sauce
(Printable recipe follows at end of posting)
Rhubarb and Beer Barbeque Sauce
Ingredients:
½ lb rhubarb, sliced ½” thick 2 tbsp water 1½ tsp lemon juice 2-3 tbsp. oil ½ cup onion, finely chopped 3-4 cloves garlic, minced ½ cup ketchup 2 tbsp tomato paste 2 tbsp Dijon mustard ¼ cup maple syrup ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed ¼ tsp cinnamon 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar ½ tbsp. Worcestershire sauce ½ tsp salt Pinch cayenne ¾ cup crushed pineapple with juice ½ cup Upstreet Craft Brewing’s “Rhuby Social” beer Method:
In medium-sized saucepan, combine rhubarb, water, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until rhubarb is soft and mushy.
In separate medium-sized saucepan, heat oil and, over medium heat, sauté onions until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for one additional minute, stirring constantly, being careful not to burn the onions or garlic. Add the cooked rhubarb, ketchup, tomato paste, mustard, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and cayenne. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and cook for approximately 45 minutes or until thickened, stirring regularly.
Add the crushed pineapple and beer. Cook for apx. 30 minutes longer, stirring regularly to prevent scorching. Cool. Purée in blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender.
Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Use on chicken, pork, or burgers. Yield: Apx. 2½ cups
Savory and sweet barbeque sauce combines rhubarb, crushed pineapple, and beer to make a tasty sauce for pork, chicken, and burgers.
Ingredients
½ lb rhubarb, sliced ½” thick
2 tbsp water
1½ tsp lemon juice
2-3 tbsp. oil
½ cup onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup ketchup
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup maple syrup
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp salt
Pinch cayenne
¾ cup crushed pineapple with juice
½ cup Upstreet Craft Brewing’s “Rhuby Social” beer
Instructions
In medium-sized saucepan, combine rhubarb, water, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until rhubarb is soft and mushy.
In separate medium-sized saucepan, heat oil and, over medium heat, sauté onions until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for one additional minute, stirring constantly, being careful not to burn the onions or garlic. Add the cooked rhubarb, ketchup, tomato paste, mustard, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and cayenne. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and cook for approximately 45 minutes or until thickened, stirring regularly. Add the crushed pineapple and beer. Cook for apx. 30 minutes longer, stirring regularly to prevent scorching. Cool. Purée in blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Use on chicken, pork, or burgers.
I am always developing ideas for ways I can make use of rhubarb. We have a long-established rhubarb patch at the end of the garden that always produces large beautiful red stalks. It was planted circa 1993-94 and is the German Wine variety. Because of its rich red color, it lends itself to colorful dishes. While we freeze lots of rhubarb for winter usage, I try to make good use of it while it is fresh. There’s just something so satisfying in being able to go to the garden to pick a few stalks of rhubarb just as I need them for a dish I am making.
Rhubarb Salsa
Today, I am sharing the recipe I developed for Rhubarb Salsa. As you know, there has to be some kind of base for the salsa – something that gives it its bulk, if you will. For example, in many salsas, that tends to be a tomato base. In my recipe, which is a sweet salsa, I am using rhubarb as the base. Use young, thin rhubarb stalks for this recipe. Continue reading Rhubarb Salsa→
Strawberries and rhubarb are always a winning combination as their flavors and textures play off well against each other. On PEI, there is a very short window of opportunity to have both fresh rhubarb and Island strawberries available at the same time. So, if you are lucky enough to have both available, now is the time to make this delicious Strawberry Rhubarb Pie!
While it is possible to use frozen rhubarb in the strawberry rhubarb pie recipe I am sharing, the strawberries do need to be fresh, not frozen, since frozen berries will release too much moisture into the pie filling.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
Lightly spiced, this pie is a summertime treat, especially when served with a scoop of high-quality French vanilla ice cream. This is a double crust pie and you can find my pastry recipe by clicking here.
1¼ cups white sugar ¼ cup cornstarch ¼ tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp ginger Pinch nutmeg 1½ tsp grated orange rind 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 tbsp orange juice 1 tbsp butter cut into pieces
Method:
Assemble ingredients.
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Grease 9” pie plate. Roll out pastry and line pie plate, trimming pastry to fit.
In small bowl, mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, spices, and grated orange rind.
In separate bowl, beat egg with orange juice. Blend in dry ingredients.
Add rhubarb and strawberries and stir gently to mix.
Transfer filling to prepared pie crust.
Dot with butter.
Dampen edges of pie pastry with a finger dipped in water.
Roll out remaining pastry for top crust. Place over filling and trim to fit. Crimp or press edges of pastry together with fork tines to seal.
Cut slits in top of pastry and prick with fork tines in several places to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes.
Circle edge of pie with a collar of tin foil to prevent over-browning. Remove this collar after 35 minutes of baking to allow edges to bake and brown.
Place pie on rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake 15 minutes at 425°F then decrease temperature to 375°F and bake for approximately 45 minutes longer or until pastry is golden brown and fruit is cooked.
Remove pie from oven and cool completely before slicing and serving.
Yield: One pie, apx. 8 servings
Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
If you have made this recipe and enjoyed it and/or wish to share it with your friends and family, please do so on social media but be sure to share the direct link to this posting from my website.
A lightly spiced double-crusted pie that combines two of summer's best flavours.
Ingredients
Pastry for 2-crust 9” pie
3 cups rhubarb, cut into ½” pieces
1½ cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1¼ cups white sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ginger
Pinch nutmeg
1½ tsp grated orange rind
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp butter cut into pieces
Instructions
Assemble ingredients. Preheat oven to 425°F.
Grease 9” pie plate. Roll out pastry and line pie plate, trimming pastry to fit.
In small bowl, mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, spices, and grated orange rind.
In separate bowl, beat egg with orange juice. Blend in dry ingredients. Add rhubarb and strawberries and stir gently to mix. Transfer filling to prepared pie crust. Dot with butter.
Dampen edges of pie pastry with a finger dipped in water. Roll out remaining pastry for top crust. Place over filling and trim to fit. Crimp or press edges of pastry together with fork tines to seal. Cut slits in top of pastry and prick with fork tines in several places to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes.
Circle edge of pie with a collar of tin foil to prevent over-browning. Remove this collar after 35 minutes of baking to allow edges to bake and brown.
Place pie on rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake 15 minutes at 425°F then decrease temperature to 375°F and bake for approximately 45 minutes longer or until pastry is golden brown and fruit is cooked.
Remove pie from oven and cool completely before slicing and serving.
Follow “the Bistro” on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.ca/peibistro/ and pin the Pinterest-ready photo found at the end of this post to your favorite Pinterest boards.
There is nothing like homemade relish, all natural and no preservatives. Today, I am sharing my recipe for Rhubarb Relish which makes good use of the fresh rhubarb when it is in season. Continue reading Rhubarb Relish→
Summertime means lots of fresh salads. I like to make my own vinaigrettes, like this Rhubarb Vinaigrette, because they are not full of preservatives and they are easy to make. Continue reading Rhubarb Vinaigrette→
We are blessed with well-producing rhubarb in our backyard garden. The photo below is of two crowns of German Wine Rhubarb I started several years ago so it is quite a mature patch now. It has very deep ruby-red stalks. The patch graces us with a steady supply of rhubarb for fresh usage and for freezing. It also allows me to create all kinds of recipes featuring rhubarb like today’s for Rhubarb and Orange Muffins. Continue reading Rhubarb and Orange Muffins→
Rhubarb Custard Torte is one of my all-time favorite desserts and it is simply sublime! It makes a lovely springtime treat when the fresh rhubarb is available but can also be made with frozen rhubarb and enjoyed year-round. Continue reading Rhubarb Custard Torte→
Blood Orange and Rhubarb Sauce over Halibut Steak served with Herb-Roasted Miniature Potatoes and Steamed Root Vegetables
Every Spring, I freeze bags and bags of rhubarb for recipes to be made through the remainder of the year. I am always looking for new ways to serve this versatile vegetable. Today, I am using it in this Blood Orange and Rhubarb Sauce for fish.
Living on an island on the East Coast of Canada, fish is readily available. Sometimes, I like to eat the fish plain, just pan-seared or oven-baked but, other times, I like it dressed up a bit. Rhubarb and citrus make a nice combination and citrus sauces go well with seafood so my sauce creation includes both rhubarb and citrus fruit.
I thought it was time to use up some of the remaining frozen rhubarb (or maybe I just needed to have a Spring food because our winter is getting very tiresome). You can use any kind of white fish with this sauce – my choice was the halibut steak because it had enough thickness to it that it would hold together to plate well for presentation and not break into pieces.
I love the rich red-colored sauce as a contrast to the white fish. I hope you enjoy.
Blood Orange and Rhubarb Sauce for Halibut Steaks
Ingredients:
1 cup rhubarb, fresh or frozen, chopped into 1/2″ pieces 2 tbsp sugar ¼ cup water
Juice of 2 blood oranges (about 2/3 cup juice)
1 tbsp butter 1 shallot, finely minced (about ¼ cup or a little less) 1 clove garlic, finely minced 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses 2 tsp liquid chicken bouillon concentrate mixed in ½ cup hot water 1½ tsp blood orange zest ¼ tsp sage ¼ tsp ginger 1½ – 2 tsp cornstarch mixed in 1 tbsp cold water to make thickening paste
Method:
In saucepan, place the rhubarb, sugar, and ¼ cup water. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until rhubarb has softened. Push the rhubarb through a sieve to release the juice. You should have about 1/3 cup of rhubarb juice. Discard rhubarb pulp. Set juice aside.
Meanwhile, grate 1 1/2 tsp zest from one blood orange. Squeeze juice from 2 medium-sized blood oranges and strain through sieve to remove any pith and stones. In small saucepan, over medium-low heat, reduce the orange juice to about half. You should have about 1/3 cup of juice after this process.
In clean saucepan, melt the butter and sauté the shallot and minced garlic for 3-4 minutes until shallot is translucent.
Add the rhubarb and orange juices, balsamic vinegar, pomegranate molasses, chicken stock, orange zest, sage, and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat.
Remove from heat and strain through fine sieve into clean saucepan to remove any pieces of garlic and onion. This will make a clean, smooth sauce. Return mixture to low heat.
Mix cornstarch with water to make a paste. Add about 1 tbsp of the hot liquid from the sauce to temper the paste so it will not go lumpy when added to the hot mixture. Add to saucepan mixture and stir or whisk until thickened to consistency desired.
Makes enough sauce for 3-4 servings.
To serve:
Pan-sear or oven-bake halibut steaks till fish flakes easily. Plate the fish and pour 1-2 tbsp sauce over each steak. Garnish with chopped pistachio nuts, if desired, and blood orange slices.
I served the fish with a medley of yellow, red, and blue herb-roasted miniature potatoes, steamed carrots and turnip, and paired this meal with Beringer’s Chardonnay (CA).
Blood orange juice and rhubarb combine their flavors to make a wonderful sauce for white fish such as halibut.
Course Main Course
Keyword fish, seafood
My Island Bistro KitchenBarbara99
Ingredients
1cuprhubarb, fresh or frozen, (chopped into ½“ pieces
2tbspsugar
¼cupwater
Juice of 2 blood oranges (about 2/3 cup juice)
1tbspbutter
1shallot, finely minced (about ¼ cup or a little less)
1clovegarlic, finely minced
1tbspbalsamic vinegar
1tbsppomegranate molasses
2tspliquid chicken bouillon concentrate mixed in ½ cup hot water
1½tspblood orange zest
¼tspdried sage
¼tspground ginger
1½ - 2tspcornstarch mixed in 1 tbsp cold water to make thickening paste
Instructions
In saucepan, place the rhubarb, sugar, and ¼ cup water. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until rhubarb has softened. Push the rhubarb through a sieve to release the juice. This should yield about 1/3 cup rhubarb juice. Discard rhubarb pulp. Set juice aside.
Meanwhile, grate 1½ tsp zest from one blood orange. Squeeze juice from 2 medium-sized blood oranges and strain through sieve to remove any pith and stones. In small saucepan, over medium-low heat, reduce the orange juice to about half. This should yield about 1/3 cup of juice after this process.
In clean saucepan, melt the butter and sauté the shallot and garlic for 3-4 minutes, until shallot is translucent. Add the rhubarb and orange juices, balsamic vinegar, pomegranate molasses, chicken stock, orange zest, sage, and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and strain through fine sieve into clean saucepan to remove any pieces of garlic and onion. This will make a clean, smooth sauce. Return mixture to low heat.
Mix cornstarch with water to make a paste. Add about 1 tbsp of the hot liquid from the sauce to temper the paste so it will not go lumpy when added to the hot mixture. Add to saucepan mixture and stir or whisk until thickened to consistency desired.
Recipe Notes
Yield: Makes enough sauce for 3-4 servings.
To serve:Pan-sear or oven-bake halibut steaks till fish flakes easily. Plate the fish and pour 1-2 tbsp sauce over each steak. Garnish with chopped pistachio nuts, if desired, and blood orange slices.
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