 Rhubarb is a "stalky" vegetable similar to the way celery is a stalk. It is often regarded as a fruit even though it is a vegetable. It can be used in a savory dish or as a desert although, most people use it in baked desserts or as a jam or in a fruit spread. However, it is most popularly used in pies or tarts and almost always paired with strawberries. The tartness of the rhubarb makes it a perfect complement to the sweet deliciousness of strawberries.  Rhubarb stalks from Crown Heights CSA We got some rhubarb from the Crown Heights, Brooklyn CSA (community supported agriculture) last Tuesday and I thought it would be a great idea to make a Strawberry-Rhubarb tart with Rosemary. I was starring at the beautiful looking Rosemary growing on the rooftop garden at work and I was curious to find out how it would work with strawberry and rhubarb.   In a bowl, I mixed 1 pound chopped rhubarb with 1 pound diced strawberries, 3 tbs cornstarch, and 1 cup sugar. I added a few chopped sprigs of rosemary to the mix and let it sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes. I was feeling too lazy to make a traditional crust so I took out some left over shortbread cookie dough from the fridge. I spread it into a tart pan for use as my crust. It made for a pretty crust. The bottom part is red velvet shortbread cookie dough with beets for coloring. The side part of the crust is a brown sugar shortbread cookie dough. I poured my chilled fruit mix into the pan and let bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes.  I took the pie to my friend Stacy who was hosting a movie night in her backyard. As you can tell from above the pie was a hit. Stacy licked her plate. That's the best compliment I've ever received. 1 Comment |
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