“Make the best of what you’ve got,” I thought as I watched my neighbor cart a wheelbarrow of rhubarb stalks towards my door.
“If anyone knows what to do with abundant …
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“Make the best of what you’ve got,” I thought as I watched my neighbor cart a wheelbarrow of rhubarb stalks towards my door.
“If anyone knows what to do with abundant rhubarb,” he said sheepishly and departed.
That was the spring of 2016, when I made jar upon jar of vanilla cardamom rhubarb butter cooked down in a fleet of crock pots.
This year, I’m again in a rhubarb glut, and have set myself the challenge to use it in previously unimagined ways. So far, I’ve made a savory rhubarb quiche, and a cardamom ginger rhubarb cake. I’ve included both recipes on the Food Coop’s blog.
With rhubarb on the brain, I did some research. The rhubarb in the quiche tasted like sorrel, and it turns out they’re both in the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae). This insight inspired my recipes for buckwheat crêpes with vanilla rhubarb sauce, fromage blanc and sliced strawberries.
Serves 6
1 lb rhubarb stalks, cut into ½-inch pieces
½ vanilla bean, split
1 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons sherry
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
ground black pepper to taste
½ cup sugar or to taste
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and toss the ingredients together on the baking sheet. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes. Puree and taste. Add sugar if needed.
Fromage Blanc (frow-maazh-blaangk) translates as white cheese. It sounds fancy, but it is simple to culture. Best of all, it’s delicious and used both like sour cream and cream cheese.
A gallon of whole milk. I use Jersey milk from Dungeness Valley Creamery in Sequim, but any milk will do.
A starter culture. I bought mine from the “New England Cheesemaking Supply Company.” It’s $7 for five packets, each making over a pound of cheese.
Heat a gallon of milk to 86F, add the starter, cover with a lid, and allow it to culture overnight at 72F. (Room temperature is fine.)
The next day, ladle the curds into a cheesecloth-lined strainer and drain until thick. Remember to save the whey to use in the crêpe batter instead of milk.
Every June we make a pilgrimage to Graysmarsh Farm. I don’t make jam anymore, instead I puree the fresh berries, and freeze them in paper cups, four to a quart Ziploc. We use them for fresh compotes and smoothies.
I once considered crêpes for special occasions only until I started teaching classes. During my crêpe phase, we filled the fridge with quarts of batter. I invested in a crêpe spreader and cast iron crêpe pan. I haven’t regretted either purchase.
I make crêpes with all kinds of flour. The batter keeps, so they are a handy, fast food to fill with savory or sweet fillings. “Crêpes” by Martha Holmberg is an inspirational cookbook that now lives on my shelves. I recommend watching YouTube videos of professionals making crêpes, because seeing technique in action is invaluable.
Makes 1 quart batter enough for 12 crêpes
1 ¾ cup whole milk, or whey
4 tablespoons melted butter
¾ teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs
1 cup buckwheat flour
½ cup all purpose or 1 for 1 gluten-free flour
Add flour and salt to food processor
Using a blender or food processor, add the liquid ingredients and blend. Add the flours and salt. Continue to blend until smooth. Pour into a quart jar.
Preheat a cast iron round griddle or crêpe pan for 15 minutes on a medium heat.
Butter the griddle, increase the heat to medium high (350F) Ladle 1/3 cup of batter into the center of the griddle and spread it out using a crêpe spreader, or the back of a large spoon. Allow it to cook for 1½ to 2 minutes. The edges will curl and the top will look dry. Flip it over with a spatula or crêpe turner and cook the other side. It takes a while to get the feel for making these, but be patient and don’t give up.
Yummy!
Spoon the fromage blanc and rhubarb sauce into the crêpes. Fold or roll. Serve with sliced strawberries. Bon appétit!
(Sidonie Maroon is the culinary educator for The Food Co-op, abluedotkitchen.com. Find Rhubarb Ginger Banana Cake and Savory Fennel and Rhubarb Quiche recipes on The Food Co-op blog, www.foodcoop.coop/blog/best-of-rhubarb.)