Woohoo Roo-barb!

My culinary creations lately have been dictated by the contents of this organic mini-market I mentioned in my last post. It's amazing how minimal choices produce a disproportionate level of excitement for otherwise undramatic produce. First brussel sprouts, now rhubarb. Don't get me wrong, I love them both.

For using up this tart stalk, I went simple (big surprise) but also new (to me). I've done the rhubarb compote, the rhubarb pie, the strawberry-rhubarb pie, and the raw rhubarb handed to me by a shoeless hippie who insisted it was delicious (he was right, but I only conceded after he took many bites proving it wouldn't poison me on the spot. Isn't there something about rhubarb leaves . . . ?).

Anyway, today's recipe is light and citrusy and buttery and tart all at the same time. Mmmhmm!

For this Orange Rhubarb Pastry you will need:

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 4 oranges)
2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1/2 a lime)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 pound rhubarb stalks
1 sheet puff pastry (God bless you if you can make your own. I bought mine this time.)
1/2 tsp. orange zest





To assemble:

Preheat your oven to 400º.
Slice your rhubarb stalks thinly and on a sharp diagonal (use a sharp knife! That red skin is fibrous and stubborn).

Stir the Orang Juice, Lime Juice and Sugar together in a medium bowl. Add the rhubarb and stir to coat.

Let the mixture stand for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, spread your pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut in half (making two rectangles about 11x7 inches each). Create a border by gently scoring the dough, about 1/2 an inch from the edge like this:

Don't cut all the way through! Prick the surface inside the border with a fork like this:

Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet.
Strain the rhubarb mixture over a small saucepan to reserve the liquid. Begin layering the dough with the rhubarb slices, leaving the border free. Rhubarb shrinks as it cooks, so do a good overlap (even more than I did if you want a densely packed filling).

Fold the edges of the pastry over at the score mark, ever-so-slightly overlapping the rhubarb filling.

Repeat for second pastry.
Place in the centre (Do you like how I did that? Yeah, I'm a lemming. But really I have to write all my papers and reports in British English, so it's starting to look correct . . . save me!) of the oven and bake until deep golden all around the edge and lightly golden on the bottom of the pastry, about 25 minutes.

While it's cooking, bring the citrus liquid to a boil and reduce by about half. It will get slightly thicker and smell divine.
Remove the pastry from the oven.
Move it quickly to a rack and brush the entire thing with the hot glaze (including the pastry edges). Sprinkle with the fresh zest.
Allow to cool and serve with fresh cream, whipped cream, ice cream (any form of cream, people).

You can see how the rhubarb shrinks and loses the green colouring (there it is again). The flavour (this is just craziness) of the rhubarb is really well complimented by the bursting citrus of the oranges and limes. Why not have it with a cup of English tea? It'll make me happy if you do.