Rhubarb Compote
Once again our rhubarb is outdoing itself trying to out perform
the other backyard plants and I do have to say -
is looking pretty gorgeous.
But this year I am determined to start putting it on our
table.
I’m beginning with rhubarb compote from a recipe I found
this morning on a blog that
I follow. Sounds
yummy!
Here is the recipe:
1 pound (455 grams) rhubarb stalks, trimmed and sliced into
¾-inch chunks
½ to ¾ cup (100 to 150 grams) sugar
2 Tbsp. (28 grams) unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. orange liqueur, such as Cointreau, Grand Marnier or
whatever you choose
In a medium bowl, toss the rhubarb with the sugar. Set it aside while you melt the butter in a
heavy medium saucepan over medium heat.
When the butter has melted, add the rhubarb, sugar and orange liqueur. Allow to cook, undisturbed, for about 2
minutes, until the rhubarb begins to release its juices. Then gently stir, and continue to cook over
medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is very juicy and those
juices begin to thicken. The compote is ready when the rhubarb is
tender and beginning to fall apart and the juices look thick, about 10 - 15
minutes. This is a
cook-it-until-it-looks-right-to-you situation:
trust your judgment.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and
serve cold, cool, or warm.
Footnote:
We like things less sweet so I have cut the sugar to a
little under ½ cup. The sugar is what
helps to thicken the rhubarb’s juices and gives the compote its body, so it
can’t be cut too much. And if you cut back
too much the texture will be different.
And I substituted orange juice for the orange liqueur because that’s
what I had in my kitchen.
See, I told you it
would make it to my kitchen. . . I know you didn’t believe me!
Here Comes Summer!!
And along with summer comes gardening. I love gardening!
I love the smell of summer, the hint of green that is
popping up all over our yard, dreaming of what’s going into our garden this summer
and the pansies and primroses that sit outside the grocery store doors.
I go to nature to be soothed and healed. Mother Nature is my therapist.
Our resident squirrels are becoming more present, slowly
pulling themselves out of their winter hibernation, showing up at our back door
for our peanut stash reserved just for them.
I am in love with
walking in the woods,
strolling on the
beach,
digging in my
garden.
And picnicking with
family and friends. There’s nothing like
sitting in the sun, sharing food and sharing thoughts about everything and
nothing, watching the ferries on the bay come and go.
Two weeks ago our family packed a picnic and headed to the Edmonds
there’s a busy, noisy world behind us.
Last week I met a friend up north at a park in a little
community called Arlington Westport Birch Bay
In our back yard we have this bush or -
maybe a tree . . .
that started from a seed blown in from a neighbors
yard. Over the years it has grown to
about 15 feet high and equally as wide and in the spring is covered with
delicate white flowers. It’s my favorite
bush in the yard, because of its free spirit, wild and wispy, like a piece of
art. Last summer one of our daughters
actually discovered that it bears fruit. And every spring my hubby threatens to
prune it back or worse yet, cut it down.
And every spring I work hard to redirect his energies.
Sigh. . .
As lovely as perfection is, and truly remarkable +
unattainable, and so much work, and if we were remotely close to attaining it
which would make us entirely unapproachable to our friends or family or whomever
might pass in front of us. I’m forever
drawn to plants that look a little unruly, Italian pots with chips in them and to
things that just look
Unusual + comfortable
+ interesting. . .
Wherever perfection might appear I find myself running,
Sprinting. . .
as fast as I can in
the opposite direction.
This morning as rain is lightly falling outside our windows you
will find my hubby and I snuggled up in our den talking about
relationships. More pointedly about -
Our relationship -
and what has made it so good all these years. Before we were married we said to each other -
“I never want to
change who you are”. . . (Prune you)
A lot of couples make those promises, but they are quickly forgotten.
That we would always
give each other the freedom and space to be who we are. . . (To grow
without guidelines and borders just like that bush.)
This has created the safest space in the world for each of
us. A space where we love to hang out. I reminded him that our relationship is like
the bush in the backyard that we have allowed to grow in whatever direction it
wants to and with that freedom comes changes each year. My hubby is still dreaming of pruning and I’m
still defending my bush and working really hard to keep the pruning shears -
out of sight. . .
After many years of marriage the lines will sometimes become
blurred and as I said earlier perfection is only an illusion and as much as we
still give each other space and the freedom we promised, we every once in a while have to remind
each other of
That promise. . .
As for that bush. It
still has a home tucked up against the backyard fence and this spring is
outdoing itself as its white flowers have turned into green lacy leaves. I’m pretty sure if you looked really close you would see it smiling, knowing
it has escaped the pruning shears or ax -
one more year.
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