Rhubarb Iced Tea

Wow, how time flies. It has been almost a year since I posted anything within my blog. I have no idea where the time went, but I think it probably went to preparing lectures, grading papers and making students cry. Just kidding. I would never purposely make a student cry.

That doesn't mean they don't cry though. They do. More often than you'd imagine. Mostly because they waited until the last minute to care about their grade.

Plus, it was a really loooong winter. Incredibly long and I love winter. I really do. I love big warm sweaters, comfy boots and hot chocolate. However, by the end of April I was ready for some desirable weather....where the AIR didn't burn the skin on my face, or freeze the snot in my nose.

So, we've finally come to have some weather that doesn't require a warm scarf. This could mean one of two things, I have more time or I'm just motivated to do more than just crawl up in a ball under some heavy blankets.

And here we are at spring. Beautiful beautiful spring. With spring comes lots of delicious things like rhubarb and enough mud to make me dread letting my dog out to pee.

We were planting in the garden today, but a bunch of storms came through which cut our planting time short. So, while I was retreating in doors I decided to look up some new and different recipes for rhubarb. At the time, I was thirsty so this iced tea really caught my attention. It definitely quenched my thirst and there was nothing difficult about it.


I found the recipe in a Martha Stewart magazine from probably a decade ago and then I found it on Pinterest.

Rhubarb Iced Tea

10 cups water

10 rhubarb stems (cut into halves or thirds)

1/2 cup sugar (or more to taste)

Add the 10 cups of water and rhubarb stems into a large saucepan, bring to a boil and then simmer for roughly an hour. Strain the liquid into a pitcher and add 1/2 cup sugar while hot. Stir. Chill before serving. 

Tips: If you want the pretty pink color, pick the younger thinner rhubarb stems. They have more red than green and will make your ice tea the appealing pink color you want, instead of green. Also, add the sugar while it's hot so that it can dissolve into the tea easier.

You know what else is abundant during spring? These orange poppy flowers. They'll brighten up any yard.

Enjoy the rhubarb iced tea! 

Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

I'm sure I looked pretty silly today picking rhubarb. Large stick in tow, which by the way is no where near necessary for picking rhubarb. However, there are two very large milk snakes taking refuge in our rhubarb patch. They're quite aggressive as well. One of them has come flying out at me before. I try to learn my lesson the first time around. So, this time I took a stick to push around the big leaves so I could at least see what I was putting my hands into.  It was a success, I got lots of rhubarb and no snakes in sight.

Said snake.

Anyway, I'll be the first to tell you that I am absolutely the worst at making pretty pie crusts. I suppose it's because I don't have patience for it. I also don't have enough practice. My mom on the other hand is a whiz at it.

There is an easy solution to not so pretty crusts for pies. I turn everything that originally had intentions of being a pie into a rustic tart. There is no need for pinching the edges, braiding, neatly folding, weaving or spending minutes upon minutes trying to reach symmetrical perfection.

That's the reason behind this creation. I saw a recipe for rhubarb pie, which of course looked absolutely pretty. So, I decided to make a rustic tart.

Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

crust:

2 c flour

1/4 c yellow corn meal

1/3 c sugar

2/3 c butter, cold and cubed

1/2 c buttermilk

filling:

4 c rhubarb, chopped

2 c strawberries, chopped

4 c boiling water

2/3 c sugar

1/4 c flour

2 tblsp cream of wheat

1 egg white, slightly whisked with fork

Alright, I generally make my crusts in my food processor. It's just so much easier. Plus, it takes less time, which means less time for the butter or fat to melt while working it into a dough. Meaning they stay the perfectly little butter/fat pockets that melt in the crust when it is baking in the oven. So, whether you make your dough in a food processor or with a fork in a large bowl is up to you, and requires the same process nonetheless.

Mix flour, corn meal and sugar in food processor.

Add cold butter and pulse processor until it forms fine crumbles, as shown on the left. Then slowly add the buttermilk, continue pulsing until the dough starts to come together into a ball. 

Dump it out onto a lightly floured countertop and form into a disk. Shove it in the refrigerator for at least a 1/2 hour.

While the dough is chilling make the filling. Put rhubarb in a colander and pour the boiling water over it. Let water drain out and add to a large bowl. Add strawberries, sugar, flour and cream of wheat. Cream of wheat is the secret in any super juicy pie. It helps absorb the juices so they stay inside. But shhh...it's a secret so don't tell anyone.






Once dough is chilled roll it out to about a 14 inch circle on a floured surface. Be sure to flour your rolling pin as well. Make sure the dough is also about 1/2 inch thick. Transfer the dough to a foiled cookie tray or pizza pan. This part is probably easier than it seems. Just roll the dough around your rolling pin and transfer it over to the tray that way. Spoon the filling atop the dough, leaving about 2 inches of edge. Pull those edges up around the filling in any way you want. That's the best part. It doesn't matter if it's even or some come up further than others. Brush with egg white.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 55-60 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Serve warm with some cold vanilla ice cream on the side, and you wont regret a single bite.

Simple enough, wouldn't you say? Let me know if you gives this one a try!

Also, just in case you don't have buttermilk sitting around in your refrigerator (which I didn't), you can make it. Sort of. Technically it's just soured milk, but works practically the same. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a liquid measuring cup and then fill to 1 cup. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using your desired amount.

Bar Cookies

I had such a great weekend, which makes Monday even more difficult. I'm definitely not one of those people that lives for the weekend, because generally my week days are pretty great too. However, there is just something about the weekend and having the ability to decide what to do or what NOT to do. I suppose it is that extra sense of freedom that most desire. 

So, this blog is dedicated to dessert bars. Most bars are so easy, quick and generally provide a punch of flavor. These ones do just that. The first of the two provides a punch of lemon. Yet it's not overpowering. 

I originally saw this recipe over here.

Lemon Oat Bars

1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

3 tsps grated lemon zest

1/4 c fresh lemon juice

1 1/4 c flour

1 c old fashioned oats

1/2 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c unsalted butter, softened

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Mix sweetened condensed milk, lemon zest and lemon juice in bowl. In a separate bowl using a fork mix flour, oats, brown sugar, butter, baking soda and salt  until it starts to form crumbles. Once it crumbles or starts to pull together press half of the mixture into the bottom of a 8x8 greased pan. Then spread the sweetened condensed milk and lemon mixture over top. Top with the remaining oat mixture.  I sort of made oat patties in my hand and then placed them atop of the milk mixture in order to get better coverage.  Bake for ~20 minutes or until edges are golden brown in a 375 degree F oven. Let cool before cutting and serving. 

Just a few tips: if you want more oat coating on the top I would double the dry ingredient part of this recipe. 1/2 of this recipe was just not enough to cover the top if you are just dropping the crumbles on. Also, I suggest refrigerating before serving and keeping the leftovers (if there are any) in the fridge as well.

The next bar recipe also packs a punch, but this time with rhubarb! As I've stated before, I have an over abundance of rhubarb. Luckily I love it, especially strawberry rhubarb jelly! Maybe some day I'll share that recipe with you. Until then enjoy this delightful treat. A version of this recipe was on Taste of Home.

Rhubarb Oat Bars

1 1/2 c chopped rhubarb (fresh or frozen)

1 c brown sugar

4 tblsp water

1 tsp lemon juice

4 tsp cornstarch

1 c old-fashioned oats

3/4 c flour

1/2 c flaked coconut

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 c butter, melted

Combine rhubarb, sugar, 3 tblsp water and lemon juice in a saucepan. If you are using frozen rhubarb, thaw beforehand and drain out excess water/liquid. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and then cook for 5 minutes or until the rhubarb is soft. Make a slurry with cornstarch and 1 tblsp water, and gradually stir into the rhubarb mixture. Bring back to a boil and let cook for roughly 3 mins while stirring. The mixture should be thick. Set aside and let cool. 

Mix together the oats, flour, coconut, salt and melted butter until it starts to come to crumbles. Press 1/2 of the mixture into a greased 8x8 pan. Evenly spread the cooled rhubarb atop the oats. Top the rhubarb layer with the remaining oat mixture. Covering entirely. Bake at 350 degree F for ~25 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool before serving

Enjoy! Let me know if you enjoy bar cookies just as much as I do!

Rhubarb and Berry Crisp

Sometimes gloomy chilly days require something a little more. Something to make you forget the fact that it is almost May and it still feels wintery. That is exactly why I decided to go ahead and make this. Plus, rhubarb is in season! It's sweet, tart and warms the heart.

Rhubarb, Strawberry, Blueberry Crisp

Filling:

2 c. rhubarb, chopped

2 pints strawberries, quartered

1 pint blueberries

1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 tblsp. flour

3 tblsp. lime or lemon juice 

zest of 1 lime or lemon

Topping:

1 c. oats

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/3 c. flour

8 tblsp. butter (1 stick), melted

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix the rhubarb, strawberries, blueberries, granulated sugar, flour, lemon juice and zest in a medium sized skillet (make sure it is one you can put in the oven) or baking pan. Let the berries macerate for 5-10 mins. Mix oats, brown sugar, flour in another bowl, just use your hands. Add the melted butter and mix with hands. It will form yummy clumps of sweetness. Once berries and rhubarb is ready cover them in the crisp topping. It does not have to be perfect. Just evenly spread it across the top of the berries and rhubarb. Put the skillet in the oven and bake for 40-50 mins, or until top is crispy and brown. 

This tastes so amazing as soon as it comes out of the oven. I add a little milk to my serving. You could serve it with ice cream. I think it is the combination of the warm crisp with the cold milk or ice cream that makes it perfect. Also, really you could use any berries or combination of fruit that you have. These berries were starting to go bad in my fridge, so I used them all up. You could even omit the rhubarb if you're not in love with it like I am. This serves about 12, depending on serving size.