Clafouti (pronounced klah-foo-tee), a simple French custard-cake, is the perfect foil for the fresh fruit and berries of summer. Formulas vary wildly from one end of the spectrum (custard) to the other (cake). I love trying them all, and I shared the following two versions with you already:

• Fresh Apricot Ginger Peasant Cake is on the cake side of the spectrum, with a decidedly chewy texture, which makes it everyone’s favorite. The formula is unusual in that it contains no egg.

• Spiced Green Apple Lemon Clafouti is on the custard side of the spectrum. It rises high around the edges, much like a Dutch Baby. However, it is thicker than a Dutch Baby and the center more closely resembles a firm, tender custard than a pancake. The formula is unusual in that it contains no fat.

What I am sharing with you today is a chewy, cake-style clafouti with a sweet-tart topping of lime- and vanilla-scented fresh rhubarb. I always hesitated adding rhubarb to a clafouti, because it releases so much liquid while baking that the dish was bound to be soggy. I couldn’t see any way around this, other than to cook the rhubarb to a mush before adding it to the batter. And that of course didn’t sound like a viable solution either.

But then, Paula Wolfert came to the rescue recently in her inspired new cookbook, The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen: Recipes for the Passionate Cook. In it, she describes a way of treating rhubarb for a custart tart that allows you to extract the juice without cooking the rhubarb to a mush. The rhubarb pieces hold their shape while the tart bakes, which is just the effect I want for this clafouti.

INGREDIENT NOTE   The success of this dish rests squarely on the quality of the rhubarb. Buy crisp, tender stalks from a local grower, in season. In the Northwest, rhubarb season now extends from early spring to almost fall, thanks to numerous small growers who provision local farmers markets.

SERVING NOTE   Because this cake is so simple to make and not overly sweet, it makes an excellent addition to a breakfast or brunch menu. It’s also wonderful with afternoon tea, perhaps the medium-bodied, floral, fruity No. 64 Darjeeling Singtom, from Oregon tea purveyor, Steven Smith of Smith Tea.

Lime & Vanilla Scented Rhubarb Clafouti

There is possibly no easier or quicker cake to make than clafouti. However, in this rendition, you must macerate the rhubarb with sugar the night before, so that it releases its considerable quantity of juice. What you get in return is rhubarb that will not turn to mush when you bake it. Definitely a fair trade.

You will notice that this clafouti formula contains no egg. Thus, it doesn’t rise as much as some formulas. The advantage though is the wonderfully chewy texture.

Serving Note   Clafouti is best eaten warm, shortly after baking.

Rhubarb
3/4 pound fresh rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1- by ½-inch pieces
6 tablespoons sugar
½ vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise
finely grated zest of 1 large lime
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Batter
1 cup king Arthur, unbleached, all-purpose flour, sifted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 drop lime oil, optional

Garnish
powdered sugar in a shaker

1. Put the rhubarb in a medium-size bowl and add the sugar. With a small sharp knife, scrape the seeds from the inside of the vanilla bean into the bowl and add the bean as well. Add the lime zest. With a flexible spatula, gently combine the rhubarb with the other ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. The next day, remove the vanilla bean, rinse, dry, and use again later for another purpose. Pour the liquid from the rhubarb into a saucepan. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce to a syrup, about 4 tablespoons.
3. Remove the pan from the heat, add the rhubarb, and toss to coat with syrup. Stir in the lime juice. Let cool to room temperature.
4. To prepare the baking dish: Locate a 10½-inch diameter ceramic pie dish with a 4-6 cup capacity. (Another shape of shallow baking dish with the same capacity will work too.) Pour in the melted butter and tip the dish from side to side to cover all of it with butter. You may need to use a brush to lightly coat the edges of the dish with butter. Reserve.
5. To prepare the cake batter: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, remaining 1 cup sugar, and baking powder.
6. With a wooden spoon, beat in the milk, vanilla, and lime oil to produce a smooth batter. Don’t over beat. However, the batter should not have too many lumps either.
7. Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish.
8. Place rhubarb and syrup evenly over the batter, leaving a 3/4–inch open border of batter around the outside edges (this will allow the batter to rise at the edges).
9. Place clafouti on a rack in the upper third of a preheated 375° oven. Set an edged baking sheet on the rack below to catch any overflow.
10. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the sides are puffed and the top is golden brown.
11. Remove from the oven to a wire rack to cook for 15 minutes before cutting.

To serve, cut into wedges and arrange on serving plates. If desired, dust each serving with powdered sugar and serve with a lime wedge.

Serves 4-6.

I Love Hearing from You!

If you have read this far, please leave a comment. Include your blog URL and CommentLuv will automatically link back to your most recent blog post. Also join LunaCafe on Facebook for daily adventures in the OtherWorldly Kitchen.  I appreciate your support more than I can say. Blessings…Susan

Copyright 2011 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.

My Mennonite Grandma Mary would have loved homemade chutney, but alas, I doubt she ever tasted true chutney, even though her cellar walls were lined yearly with row upon row of pickled and candied veggies and fruits. She preserved everything she could get her hands on. Her large yard boasted mature peach, pear, plum, sweet cherry, pie cherry, and crab apple trees, which we loved to climb and pilfer.

In the summer, her kitchen always smelled of vinegar. To some pickling brews, she added sugar and spices, creating candied crab apples or sweet and sour bing cherries in the process. No dinner table was considered properly set without several bowls of her glistening treasure arranged proudly in the center.

It would have been an easy leap for her from sweet and sour pickled fruit to sweet and sour chutney: no canning, smaller quantity, chopped instead of whole fruit, wider spicing options, and auxiliary ingredients, such as raisins.

I have no doubt at all that she would have loved this particular chutney, especially since her garden along the white-washed picket fence was thick with rhubarb and the only ways she knew to use it were in lattice topped pie (with superb lard crust), homey tea bread, and  spicy rhubarb sauce. I wonder now, many years too late, why I didn’t think to share it with her.

When I first started making Indian chutneys (inspired by Madhur Jaffrey), I wondered about the similarities between German and Indian culinary traditions. After all, it is a short distance from rhubarb sauce to rhubarb chutney. I realized immediately that this particular tradition was not foreign to me at all. Thanks to Grandma Mary, I grew up with similar marvelous condiments.

The acidity of pickled veggies and sweet and sour fruit is the best palate cleanser and appetite booster I know. There is no better appetizer in the world than a freshly made fruit chutney served with a beautiful cheese (or savory cheesecake) and a basket of artisan crackers or crisps.

Spiced Rhubarb Chutney

This russet-red chutney is sweet, tart, spicy, and addictively delicious. I especially love it with Seeded Bread Crisps topped with a creamy brie or fresh chevre, or as an accompaniment to a savory cheesecake.

1 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks, broken with a mallet
2 teaspoons cardamom pods, broken with a mallet
2 teaspoons coarsely crushed black peppercorns
2 teaspoons whole cloves
1 teaspoon anise seeds
zest of 1 large orange

3 cups (14 ounces), trimmed, sliced rhubarb
½ cup plump raisins

½ teaspoon vanilla

1. In a medium saucepan, combine vinegar and sugar, and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly to dissolve the sugar.
2. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns, cloves, anise seeds, and orange zest. Cover the pan tightly and macerate for at least 1 hour.
3. Strain the liquid through a triple-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan. Discard the spent spices.
4. Reheat the liquid and add the rhubarb and raisins. Bring to a slow simmer.
5. Simmer slowly, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and the liquid reduces by half, about 10 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla.
7. Let cool, put into a storage container, cover, and refrigerate until cold.

Makes about 2 cups.

I Love Hearing from You!

If you have read this far, please leave a comment. Include your blog URL and CommentLuv will automatically link back to your most recent blog post.  I appreciate your support more than I can say. Blessings…Susan

Copyright 2011 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to elevate a simple dessert to epicurean heights is to add a brightly colored, brightly flavored dessert syrup. Top notch dessert chefs frequently use this strategy.

One of the most memorable examples of this for me was the following dessert served at Quinn’s in Seattle: a perfect chevre panna cotta accompanied by both rhubarb and basil syrups.

You can serve a dessert syrup over ice cream or gelato, alongside panna cotta or baked custard, with tea cakes, or as the key flavoring of an Italian soda, lemonade, or limeade (recipe below).

They can also be delicious with savory dishes, such as alongside creamy cheeses served with baguette crisps. You can make them more or less sweet, as needed.

In this rhubarb dessert syrup, caramelized sugar adds an interesting complexity to the otherwise straightforward sprightliness of the rhubarb (or strawberries if you choose that variation). And rose petals, although not strictly necessary, add a subtle floral note that complements the rhubarb perfectly.

Rhubarb Rose Petal Caramel Syrup

There is something magical about the addition of a surprising and complimentary flavor element to an otherwise standard dessert. Fresh fruit syrups elevate nearly any dessert to elegant heights. Add caramel and the effect is out of this world.

Ingredient Note I love the subtle dimension that rose petal lends to rhubarb. However, the sauce is also delicious without it. Or try the fresh ginger, lemon verbena, or lavender variation below.

3 cups chopped rhubarb
½ cup water
1 tablespoon dried rose petals, optional

1½ cups sugar
½ cup water

1. In a small saucepan, add the rhubarb, water, and rose petals and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the rhubarb is very soft. Remove from the heat and reserve.
2. In a dry, heavy saucepan, cook sugar over moderate heat, stirring occasionally with a silicon spatula, until melted. Then cook, without stirring, swirling pan, until a golden caramel color.
3. Remove pan immediately from the heat and carefully (stand back) add water and chopped rhubarb (caramel will steam and harden).
4. Return pan to heat and simmer the sauce, stirring, 10 minutes, or until caramel dissolves.
5. Pour sauce through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl, pressing hard on solids, and
6. cool completely.
7. Sauce may be made up to 4 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Makes about 2 cups.

Variations

Rhubarb Fresh Ginger Caramel Syrup

• Substitute 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger for the rose petals at Step 1.

Rhubarb Lemon Verbena Caramel Syrup

• Substitute several fresh lemon verbena leaves for the rose petals at Step 1.

Rhubarb Lavender Caramel Syrup

• Substitute 1 teaspoon dried lavender for the rose petals at Step 1.

Strawberry Rose Petal Caramel Syrup

• Substitute fresh, stemmed and chopped strawberries for the rhubarb.

Rhubarb Rose Petal Limeade

In case you have any Rhubarb Rose Petal Caramel Syrup left over, this is a delicious way to use it.

4 ounces cold water
3 ounces Rhubarb Rose Petal Caramel Syrup
2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
ice cubes

1. Add water, syrup, lime juice, and a handful of ice cubes to a cocktail shaker, seal with the top of the shaker, and shake vigorously until the shaker feels extremely cold.
2. Taste and adjust acidity, sweetness, and intensity levels by adding one or more of the three key ingredients.
3. To serve, pour into a chilled 10-ounce glass.

Serves 1.

Be Kind and Leave a Comment

I love hearing from you! If you have read this far, please be kind and leave a comment. Include your blog URL and CommentLuv will automatically link back to your most recent blog post. It is always fun to see what you are cooking and to leave a comment for you as well. I appreciate your support more than I can say. Blessings…Susan

Copyright 2011 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.

The Northwest farmers markets are overflowing with field-grown rhubarb. And the bounty will extend well beyond the time the large commercial growers call it quits for the season. This is because small local growers have taken up the cause and have discovered that they can keep rhubarb growing about as long as customers show enthusiasm for buying it. My own enthusiasm never seems to wane. The absence between October and February just makes the heart grow fonder.

Every spring, I work up a few new rhubarb dishes. Then I share the best of them with you. In case you missed them, here is a fresh rhubarb primer, plus some of my favorite ways to eat this most distinctive and evocative fruit cum vegetable.

Fresh Rhubarb Primer

Everything you need to know, including season, selection, storage, preparation, cooking, and great partners.

Apple Cider-Brined Tenderloin of Pork with Rhubarb Deglazing Sauce

The sweet flavor of pork has a natural affinity with acidic fruit flavors, as in this rhubarb-cider sauce, and with spices, such as allspice and cloves, which are used here in an apple cider brine. The key to this dish is in not overcooking the pork; it should be nicely rosy in the center, very juicy and tender.

Rhubarb Cardamom Lime Muffins

Muffins don’t get any better than this. The texture is tender and open, with sweet/tart rhubarb goodness throughout. Plus, there is just something magical about the combination of cardamom, lime, and rhubarb. To balance the tart bursts of rhubarb on the palate, the caramelized streusel topping is a must. Don’t even think about leaving it out.

Spring Rhubarb & Apple Crisp with Toasted Hazelnut Streusel

This crisp combines the last of the Northwest apples (from winter cold storage) and the first of the spring field-rhubarb crop. It’s a perfect marriage, because the apples lend body to the crisp (rhubarb disintegrates when cooked) and the rhubarb boosts the flavor of the apples by several notches. Rhubarb has a natural affinity for caramel, thus I use all brown sugar for the sweetener here. Lime, cardamom, cloves, hazelnuts, and vanilla ice cream are additional flavors that work magic with rhubarb, and they are all here in this wonderful dessert.

Rhubarb Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake

I can’t decide if I prefer this cake upside-down with the pale pink, glistening rhubarb on top or upside-up with the lovely browned cake on top. I leave it to your discretion. Whatever you decide, upon your first bite of this anise-scented, tender cake, you won’t care how it looks on the plate. The ethereally light texture of this cake is the result of the proportions of the ingredients but also, I believe, of the steam that is created from the sauce at the bottom of each ramekin.

Rhubarb, Tangelo & Cardamom Marmellata

This flavor combination is made in heaven. The Marmellata is intentionally on the softly set side, so that it can be used as a sauce, as well as a jam. It’s so delicious that you will be tempted to slather it on everything.

Additional Rhubarb Inspiration

• All our Fingers in the Pie: Rhubarb Turkish Delight
• Cannelle et Vanille: Coconut, Strawberry, white Chocolate and Rhubarb Mousse Cake
• Cook: Brown Butter Rhubarb Tart
• Culinate: Raw Rhubarb Honey Rosemary Compote
• Eggs on Sunday: Individual Rhubarb Pudding Cakes
• Food Blogga: Strawberry Rhubarb Sponge Pudding
• Gastronomer’s Guide: Panna Cotta with Roast and Pickled Rhubarb
• Half Baked: Cardamom Scented Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp
• Hungry Cravings: Ginger Panna Cotta, Rhubarb Mousse & Rhubarb Gelée Verrines
• Kitchen 22: Rhubarb and Pear Frangipane Tart
• La Tartine Gourmande: Rhubarb, Ginger, and Vanilla Tartlets
• Lemonpi: Vanilla Rhubarb Compote with Toasted Almond Milk Froth and Frangipane Tuile
• My Kitchen in the Rockies: French Rhubarb Cake
• Nordlijus: Rhubarb and Custard
• Orangette: Rhubarb Meringue Tart
• Pastry Studio: Rhubarb Soup
• SmittenKitchen: Strawberry Rhubarb Pecan Loaf
• Seriously Good: Rhubarb Mousse
• Spicy Ice Cream: Quince & Rhubarb Ripple Ice Cream
• Tartelette: Cardamom Tapioca Puddings
• TasteFood: Rhubarb and Rosemary Crème Brûlée
• Tigress in a Jam: Rhubeena
• Tigress in a Pickle: Rhubarb Ketchup
• The Pastry Department: Vanilla Poached Rhubarb
• Where Food Happens: Coriander Lime Ice Cream with Rhubarb Swirl
• Zen Can Cook: Rhubarb-White Chocolate Soufflés

Resources

• Little Tastes of the Dahlia: Rhubarb
• Lousy Weather is Good for Rhubarb
• Rhubarb Hunts a Place Beyond the Pie
• Rhubarb Paper
• Washington Rhubarb Growers Association

Copyright 2011 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.