Rhubarb: Dessert's Favorite Vegetable

Perks of being a chef.

Happy Monday everyone! If yours felt like mine, having a sliver of brownie is necessary. Luckily I'd just made some of my famous brownies for my husband. PHEW. After the brownie, a few yoga breaths and I'm ready to go. Today we will talk about rhubarb. Regrettably, it's not a vegetable that I use often - so today let's change that! Here are a few recipes to get your mojo for rhubarb flowing.

Lemon, Poppy, and Chevre Cheesecakes with Rhubarb
Laura Sawicki

Ingredients
Cheesecakes

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, plus more for coating the ramekins
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 6 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Compote

• 1 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon St.-Germain liqueur or elderflower cordial
• 1 pint raspberries

Streusel

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (from 1 sleeve)
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. MAKE THE CHEESECAKES Preheat the oven to 325°. Spray eight 4- to 6-ounce ramekins with vegetable oil spray and dust with sugar; tap out the excess. Set the ramekins in a large roasting pan. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, goat cheese and the 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar until smooth. Beat in the zest, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Beat in the sour cream. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Beat in the poppy seeds.
2. Divide the mixture between the ramekins and set the pan in the oven. Carefully add enough hot water to the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheesecakes are just set. Remove from the oven and let cool in the water bath for 1 hour. Refrigerate the cheesecakes until cooled completely, 3 hours.
3. MEANWHILE, MAKE THE COMPOTE In a medium saucepan, let the rhubarb, sugar, vanilla bean and salt stand until slightly juicy, 20 minutes. Add the zest and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is tender, about 15 minutes. Add the St.-Germain and raspberries and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the compote to a bowl and let cool. Discard the vanilla bean.
4. MAKE THE STREUSEL Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and lemon juice until fluffy. Beat in the graham cracker crumbs, flour, salt and cinnamon. Scatter the streusel onto the baking sheet and freeze for 10 minutes.
5. Bake the streusel for about 20 minutes, until fragrant, golden and firm. Let cool completely, then crumble the streusel.
6. Run a thin knife around the cheesecakes and invert them onto plates. Spoon the compote on top and garnish with the streusel crumbs. Serve right away.

Alsatian Rhubarb Tart

Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Ingredients

Pastry

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon ice water

1. Filling

• 2 pounds rhubarb stalks, cut into 1/3-inch dice
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 large egg yolks
• 3 large egg whites
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine the flour with the sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse just until it is the size of peas. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with the ice water. Drizzle the egg mixture over the dough and pulse just until evenly moistened; do not let it form a ball. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the rhubarb with 1/2 cup of the sugar; transfer to a strainer. Set it over the bowl and refrigerate overnight to drain.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 14-inch round. Fit the pastry into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and trim the overhanging pastry.
4. Line the pastry with foil and fill with pie weights, dried beans or rice. Bake the tart shell in the lower third of the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry is set. Carefully remove the foil and weights and bake the shell for about 10 minutes, or until cooked and the bottom is lightly golden.
5. Press on the rhubarb to extract as much liquid as possible. In a bowl, toss the rhubarb with 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Spread the rhubarb in the shell and bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes, or until the rhubarb is just tender.
6. In a medium bowl, whisk the cream with the egg yolks and 3 tablespoons of the sugar. Pour the custard over the rhubarb and bake in the lower third of the oven for about 20 minutes, or until set.
7. Increase the oven temperature to 425° and position a rack in the upper third of the oven. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the salt until firm peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, beating until the whites are stiff and glossy. Spread the meringue over the tart all the way to the side. Bake in the upper third of the oven for 5 minutes, or just until the meringue is lightly browned. Let the tart cool, then remove the ring, slide the tart onto a cake plate and serve.

Rhubarb Sorbet

Chef Bryan Webb, Hilaire; London

Ingredients

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 pound fresh rhubarb or frozen, thawed, drained, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Directions

1. Combine sugar, water and lemon juice in heavy large saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to boil. Add rhubarb. Simmer until rhubarb is tender , about 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to processor and puree until smooth. Stir in corn syrup. Refrigerate mixture until cold, about 1 hour.
2. Transfer rhubarb mixture to ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's instructions. Freeze. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Keep frozen.)

Happy baking!