Rhubarb Shrub Recipe

[ photograph by: Amy Giles ]

Rhubarb Shrub Recipe

by Autrumn Giles and Serious Eats 

Tart rhubarb practically begs to celebrated in a shrub. Two pounds of rhubarb may seem like a lot, but a large amount is necessary to have a good concentrated rhubarb flavor in the final product. You can use your shrub with seltzer, or mix into a cocktail.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds rhubarb, chopped 1/4 inch thick

• 1 cup white wine vinegar

• 1 cup granulated sugar

Directions

1. Combine the rhubarb, white wine vinegar, and granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring as the rhubarb begins to break down.

2. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook until the rhubarb is completely broken down into strands, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally

3. Remove from heat and pour into a colander or fine mesh strainer lined with a layer of cheesecloth. Allow the mixture to strain until it stops dripping, about 30 minutes. You can stir the mixture gently once or twice to help it strain, but do not press it through the cheesecloth. Discard the solids.

4. Pour the resulting syrup into a jar and let cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator.

For some fun uses, check out these three ideas: https://www.seriouseats.com/homemade-rhubarb-shrub-cocktails-spring-drinks
For the entire recipe, with online comments, check out this recipe online: Rhubarb Shrub Recipe (seriouseats.com)

  Return to the top

Dolores's Rhubarb Cake

Rhubarb is in abundance this year. 

Let’s make yummy-use of it ! 

Here is a rendition of Dolores’s Rhubarb Cake by Jane Brody from the Good Food Cook Book.  This is a super moist low-rise cake that reminds me a little of cheese cake with out the cheese.  Jane Brody made changes to the original recipe to increase the nutrient value and decrease the sugar and calories in the original recipe.  I have made some additional changes (noted) keeping up with the times.


Cake: 
1 1/4 c white flour
3/4 c whole-wheat flour (I use only whole wheat flour (2cups))
1 t vanilla
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t cinnamon
1/8 t salt, if desired
1/2 c butter or margarine ( I prefer oil)
1/2 c packed dark-brown sugar (I don’t use this)
1/4 c white sugar
1 egg (I use two)
1 c buttermilk 
1/2 pound fresh or frozen rhubarb finely diced (2 cups)

From the Good Food Cook Book by Jane Brody courtesy of my friend Polly.

Topping:

You get the gist of it. To save space we've uploaded the whole recipe to our recipe blog at : 
1/4 brown sugar
2 t cinnamon
1/2 c chopped walnuts

[ t = teaspoon, c = cup ] 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
1.) In a small bowl combine flours with the baking powder, baking soda, ¼ tsp cinnamon, and salt.  Set aside. 

2.) In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter (or oil) with the sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat again until fluffy. To this mixture alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk and beat until mixed well. 

3.) Stir in the rhubarb, then pour the batter into a greased 9×13 baking pan. 

4.) Mix together the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the batter. 

5.) Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center come out clean.

I hope you like it!

Buttermilk-Marinated Roast Chicken

From Heather Burger

I recently watched Samin Nosrat's Netflix series Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.  It's a delight.  A welcome departure from the now ubiquitous "cooking" shows challenging chefs to prepare a dish in 10 minutes combining ingredients like jellied eel, brie, pickled okra, and caramel corn.

Nosrat's series is a primer in how by mastering four elements anyone can prepare delicious meals at home.  Her recipe for buttermilk-brined roast chicken has three ingredients transformed by salt, fat, acid, and heat into a masterpiece easy enough for a weeknight dinner or a picnic lunch, but impressive enough for guests.
Get a local chicken from the Hey Day Farm Store or Bay Hay & Feed.  Use Grace Harbor buttermilk, which is full-fat and cream top, from a Pacific Northwest creamery.  Available at Town & Country.

Heather Burger, Executive Director
Friends of the Farms

Buttermilk-Marinated Roast Chicken

by Samin Nosrat

3½- to 4-pound chicken (about 1.5 kilograms)
Salt
2 cups buttermilk (475 ml)

The day before you want to cook the chicken, remove the wingtips by cutting through the first wing joint with poultry shears or a sharp knife. Reserve for stock. Season the chicken generously with salt and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Stir 2 tablespoons of kosher salt or 4 teaspoons fine sea salt into the buttermilk to dissolve. Place the chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and pour in the buttermilk. If the chicken won’t fit in a gallon-size bag, double up two plastic produce bags to prevent leakage and tie the bag with a piece of twine.

Seal it, squish the buttermilk all around the chicken, place on a rimmed plate, and refrigerate. If you’re so inclined, over the next 24 hours you can turn the bag so every part of the chicken gets marinated, but that’s not essential.
Pull the chicken from the fridge an hour before you plan to cook it. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C), with a rack set in the center position.

Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and scrape off as much buttermilk as you can without being obsessive. Tightly tie together the legs of the chicken with a piece of butcher’s twine. Place the chicken in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or shallow roasting pan.

Slide the pan all the way to the back of the oven on the center rack. Rotate the pan so that the legs are pointing toward the rear left corner and the breast is pointing toward the center of the oven (the back corners tend to be the hottest spots in the oven, so this orientation protects the breast from overcooking before the legs are done). Pretty soon you should hear the chicken sizzling.

After about 20 minutes, when the chicken starts to brown, reduce the heat to 400°F and continue roasting for 10 minutes and then move the pan so the legs are facing the back right corner of the oven.

Continue cooking for another 30 minutes or so, until the chicken is brown all over and the juices run clear when you insert a knife down to the bone between the leg and the thigh.

When the chicken’s done, remove it to a platter and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

Link to recipe:  https://www.saltfatacidheat.com/buttermilkmarinated-roast-chicken
Link to video on preparation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-pq7MA2ko4

Pickled Radishes!

Pickled Radishes!!
Time to shop at the farmers market.

Recently a dear friend and local foodie gave us a copy of Joshua McFadden’s new book called Six Seasons. His trattoria Ava Gene’s in Portland, Oregon we hear is a must-go-to. When I first cracked it open the page said ‘Pickles: Six Seasons in a Jar.' I was intrigued because pickling radishes had been on my mind since eyeing Persephone Farm’s bright red radishes at the previous Saturday’s Bainbridge Island Farmers Market. I returned last Saturday, bought four beautiful bunches from Rebecca Slattery, the Farm’s owner, went home and made this very straightforward recipe. Almost immediately, you can start enjoying these marvelous morsels in sandwiches, salads or straight out of the jar with a nicely chilled Sauvignon Blanc.

From Six Seasons:
This makes enough brine for about 3 pints of pickles.

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt ( I use Jacobsen Salt)

Mix together until all dissolved. Pack your cleaned & trimmed radishes in clean canning type jars, fill with the brine to cover, screw on lid. I kept most whole and a few sliced in half for ‘effect.' You are done! Put in frig for up to 2 months.

Guest Blogger
Robert Ross
Friends of the Farms Volunteer