First Fruit of the Season (sort of)

Now I realize that rhubarb is actually a vegetable, not a fruit, but for my purposes, during this cruel period of warm weather and limited fruit (of the non-apple variety, anyway), it's a fruit to me. I suppose the fact that something that looks like a blushing bunch of celery is my one bright spot on the sweet end of the harvest spectrum is a little depressing, but the darkest moment is always before the dawn I suppose.


Anyway, I picked up a ruby-tinted bunch the other day and have been debating about what to do with it ever since. I was inspired by Smitten Kitchen's rhubarb cobbler recipe, but on a Sunday afternoon following a weekend trip making biscuit dough seemed like more than I could handle.


I have been seeing loads of rhubarb compote recipes lately (I guess I'm not the only one on a rhubarb kick these days), but I felt my first rhubarb concoction of the season should be a little less austere than a compote. Although I have to say that it does sound as though it could be a fortifying breakfast food, perhaps a nice accompaniment to yogurt. And now that I've mastered the yogurt making process, well, it sounds like compote will be my next rhubarb recipe of the season.


But back to my first. As I was flipping through my trusted Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, I came across a recipe for rhubarb tart with orange custard that appealed immensely. As I mentioned before, dough production was out of the question for me, but I amended the recipe to suit my lazy mood. And thus, rhubarb baked in custard was born.



I swapped out a few ingredients that I didn't have for ones that I did, and I must say the result was quite satisfying. Light, tart, sweet, bright...every positive adjective that you could come up with to describe a summer dessert. And yes, I realize that it is not yet summer, but today I wanted it to be, so in my kitchen it was.




Rhubarb and Custard
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison


one bunch of rhubarb (once trimmed and diced, mine weighed about 9 ounces)
1/3 cup sugar
two big pinches of ground cloves
zest of half of a Valencia orange
1 egg
1/4 cup full fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup whole milk or cream
1 tablespoons orange liqueur


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


Lightly butter a 9-inch cake pan (you could use any baking dish you want of this approximate size). Wash the rhubarb, peel if it is tough and stringy, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Toss with sugar, cloves and orange zest and let sit for 20 minutes.


Beat the egg in a measuring cup, add the juices that the rhubarb has released. Whisk in the yogurt and then add enough of the milk or cream to make 1 cup of liquid. Add orange liqueur.


Distribute the rhubarb in a single layer in the baking dish, and then pour the custard over the top. Bake until set and slightly brown around the edges, about 45 minutes. Serve at room temperature.