PreviousCool Down with Rhubarb Yogurt Tang
June 25, 2008
LOCAL PICKS
Cool Down with Rhubarb Yogurt Tang
By Denise Miller
For the Journal
The kids are begging for strawberry rhubarb pie, but I have other plans in mind for my red stalky friends.
I'm thinking rhubarb frozen yogurt will take their mind off pie (and avoid having a hot oven in the house).
If you haven't had your fill of rhubarb, be sure to check your local growers market. This vegetable prefers lower temperatures, so we're near the end of its season.
Vegetable? Yes, rhubarb is actually a vegetable, closely related to the leafy green sorrel. It is high in vitamin C and dietary fiber.
How often can you serve a vegetable for dessert?
History has it that rhubarb, an ancient Chinese root originally cultivated for its medicinal properties, made it over to the colonies in the late 1790s, via Ben Franklin or an unnamed Maine gardener, depending on the legend.
Either way, by 1822 it was evidently being sold at U.S. produce markets, much as it is today.
Rhubarb requires sweetening to minimize the extreme tartness, but it doesn't take much sugar. Orange juice or other fruit like strawberries also bring out its best flavor.
SELECTION: Rhubarb is usually sold by the bunch. Choose fresh, crisp stalks. Rhubarb may vary in color from the newer, deep red varieties to the more traditional, older kinds that are green or pink-speckled.
STORAGE: Remove all of the leaf. Rhubarb will keep well in the refrigerator for two to three weeks in sealed plastic bags. Cooked and raw rhubarb both freeze well, so if you find a good deal, be sure to put some away for later.
PREPARATION: Cut off and compost or discard the leaves. They can be poisonous because they contain oxalate. Rinse and trim both ends of the stalk. One pound raw yields ¾-cup cooked rhubarb.
EASY DESSERTS: The rhubarb frozen yogurt was easy to make and came out smooth and creamy, not too sweet or tart. I used a stick blender to save on cleanup time and served it in lemon cups that I had put in the freezer last summer after making lemonade.
Another tangy treat is strawberry rhubarb compote, great on ice cream, waffles, pancakes or angel food cake. While I'm not much of a mint fan, I have to admit it complemented the sweet flavors extremely well. One thing for sure, the kids forgot all about the pie.
RHUBARB FROZEN YOGURT
2 cups stewed rhubarb (about 2½ pounds fresh; cut into ½-inch wide pieces simmered with very little water)
½ cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
In food processor puree stewed rhubarb until smooth. Blend in yogurt, sugar and orange juice. Freeze in ice cream maker or cover and freeze in shallow metal pan for 3 to 4 hours or until almost firm. Break up mixture and process in food processor in batches if necessary until smooth. Freeze in airtight container for 1 hour or until firm.
RHUBARB AND STRAWBERRY COMPOTE WITH FRESH MINT
Makes about 3 generous cups
3 cups ½-inch-wide pieces fresh rhubarb (cut from about 1 pound)
½ to ¾ cup sugar (sweeten to taste)
¼ cup water
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled, halved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Combine rhubarb, sugar and ¼ cup water in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Simmer gently until rhubarb is tender but not falling apart, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in strawberries. Transfer to bowl and stir in mint. Chill until cold, about 1 hour.
-- Adapted from Bon Appétit May 2008
