Honey Roasted Springtime

My friend Janet has a MASSIVE rhubarb patch that
is decades old and still produces year after year.

If you grew up in the Midwest, like I did, chances are you have memories of Gramma's house, with a big garden in the backyard, many times an apple tree or some other fruit tree, and way in the back of the yard, the ever popular rhubarb patch. It seems to have gone the way of the dodo- not many people are growing rhubarb patches anymore, and that's really sad. This perennial treat is perfect in sweet or savory recipes and makes such a striking display of giant leaves and huge spikes of teeny flower buds. I suppose the suburbanites don't want to dig up a section of their perfectly sodded lawns but even if you don't eat it, it's still a gorgeous plant to have around. Build a flower bed around it, it's really lovely. Back to when I was a kid- everyone and I mean everyone had rhubarb in the backyard. Some of those plants/clumps were decades old. Strawberry rhubarb pie was a very popular dessert when I was growing up, along with rhubarb crisps, crunches, cobblers- you name it. I would imagine simple economics had a lot to do with the popularity of rhubarb back then- thrifty housewives were making good use of what was available in her own backyard.

David Tallman has two different varieties of rhubarb in
his northern Iowa rhubarb patch.

Tastes change over the years and so do lifestyles. People didn't garden like our parents and grandparents did. They didn't have to. Giant supermarkets sprang up all over with huge produce departments that took all the work out of having fresh fruits and vegetables. People embraced this convenience, and the strawberry patches, raspberry bushes, rhubarb patches, apple trees, and vegetable gardens slowly disappeared from our little landscapes.

This spring I was gifted a nice bagful of rhubarb from my very good friends Paul and Jennifer Quick. You might remember Paul from Quick's Hot Spice- he is my Pepper Professor and makes this crazy delicious spice blend. They have a beautiful backyard garden with a large clump of rhubarb and they always give me as much as I want. 

Like fashion, food trends have their cycles and rhubarb is no different. As chefs and food industry insiders began focusing more on locally grown foods and less on what they can have delivered from far away, foods like rhubarb started to appear on menus and in recipes, in cookbooks and magazines, all over again. Kitchen gardens planted with lots of delicious things like herbs, lettuces, radishes, beans and rhubarb as the anchor are popping up all over. Home cooks and restaurant chefs alike are planting gardens to have access to the freshest ingredients possible. I hope this trend continues for many years to come- I've seen so many of my favorite "old" foods come back in style and on plates and I'm loving it. Rhubarb has always been a favorite of mine. It's not a true fruit, but it's most often used as one with some added sweetener to tackle the puckering tartness. Chefs are coming up with all sorts of inventive ways to use rhubarb. Soups, slaws, sauces and even salads get a puckery kick from this leafy plant. I'm most likely to use rhubarb in a pie, but I thought why not try something just a little different this spring, and ROAST the rhubarb. A little drizzle of honey brings the sweet and orange zest adds a bright citrus pop. Hibiscus joins the party as a very unexpected guest and brings a fruity and floral tea-like note to the rhubarb. The key to success with roasted rhubarb is not to OVER roast it. You want the rhubarb to retain its shape and not cook into a watery soft blob. Check your rhubarb at 15 minutes, it should be JUST tender but not mushy. If it's still a bit crunchy keep checking every couple minutes. Rhubarb contains a lot of water and can go from crunchy to soft very quickly. Since we will be using our rhubarb in a baked tart, I'm going to under-roast it a bit to keep some crunchiness so it will hold its shape.

Honey Hibiscus Roasted Rhubarb

3 cups red rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2-3 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons orange juice

zest of one orange
hibiscus petals, crushed, or hibiscus powder

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spread the rhubarb pieces onto a rimmed baking sheet, lined with foil. Stir the honey, the zest and orange juice in a small bowl, mixing in some of the hibiscus to taste. Drizzle the honey mixture evenly over the rhubarb. 

Place in oven and roast for 15-30 minutes. You want the rhubarb to be barely tender but still hold its shape. Drizzle with additional orange juice if needed.

Now that we have this beautiful roasted rhubarb, what are we going to do with it? Make tarts of course! Now you can make any size tart you like. I am going to make individual tarts this time. Don't worry if you don't have individual tart pans. Most people don't have a bunch of fancy miniature tart pans sitting around but it's EASY to find a dozen wide mouth canning jar lids! They are cheap, and the perfect size. 

For the filling I decided to go with the traditional French pastry filling frangipane. Made with ground almonds or almond flour, this creamy filling has a delicate almond flavor and goes well with almost any fruit or nut combo. I love it with fresh red raspberries and ripe pears. It just seemed natural to pair it with the fragrant hibiscus and honey roasted rhubarb. I'm using almond flour from Trader Joe's that is 100% almonds. No fillers or sweeteners or additives. That's it. It was perfect.

Frangipane 

1 cup almond flour

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

big pinch of salt

Use a mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy and light. Add the almond flour and mix in completely, scraping the sides of the mixing bowl often. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until well incorporated.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside. 

Roll out pie pastry (purchased or homemade) and cut out circles about one half inch larger around than the rings. Fit the pastry into mini tart pans or canning rings with the lids inside. Fill generously with the frangipane. Top with the rhubarb, arranged in a decorative pattern. 

Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a rack. Remove the tarts from the rings or tart pans to serve. Serve topped with whipped cream if desired.

Guys, these were delicious little bites of heaven. The flaky crust cradles the creamy almond filling that isn't overly sweet. The roasted rhubarb has the teeniest hint of honey, a touch of hibiscus and orange flavors. It's a great combination and a new and unique way to add rhubarb to your dessert menu. Give these a try with red raspberries or dark sweet pitted cherries too.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."