Results for ‘Strawberry’

I’ll crumble for you – a look back

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

A year ago, I posted: I’ll crumble for you. It’s pretty amazing to see how much has changed in a year.

—

I’ll crumble for you (originally posted on June 18, 2010)

Warning: this is the most pathetic blog post, ever.

It was Thursday, it was hot, and I had great aspirations of making ‘chicken under a brick’ for dinner. I was going to blog about it and I was going to take beautiful pictures. But, I had a busy morning, came home, and puttered around the house to discover that I needed a nap. So, I took that nap; I woke up and hoped to punch out a few projects before dinner. But I kept puttering. I took my dog, Frankie, on a walk around the block and came back winded and rosy cheeked (okay I was sweating). The thought of going to the store, coming home, starting the grill, walking up and down our steps to the back patio seemed just too daunting.

So I just sat down with a fan on me and my large belly and started typing this. I figure I should provide all of you with a recipe for the week. I have one, but here’s the sad part: I have never made this dish and I have no photo. My friend, Gretchen, had brought over a strawberry/rhubarb crumble a few weeks back—it was so good. So last weekend when my sister-in-law, Katie, was over, I put her to work with the same project. In my defense, I have eaten a lot of this crumble and know that it’s really delicious.

The crumble is tart, sweet, buttery, and crunchy. When served warm with ice cream, it’s plate-lickin’-good. And, I also found that it is quite tasty cold from the fridge for breakfast. This recipe is the real deal, you just have a very pregnant blog writer who could not get her act together this week. At least you were warned.

–

So here’s the picture – one year late. And let me tell you, this seasonal dessert is just as good as I remembered–I’ve made it three times this week.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
adapted from Bon Appetit
Serves 8

Ingredients:
3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
Large pinch of salt
7 TBS  chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup walnuts – chopped
1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
1 pound strawberries, hulled, halved (about 4 cups)
12 ounces rhubarb, ends trimmed, stalks cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces

Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter 11 x 7 x 2- inch glass baking dish (or a lg. pie plate). Combine flour, sugar and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add the butter, oats, and nuts. Mix with hands to create a crumble mixture. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine sugar and vanilla. Add prepared strawberries and rhubarb. Add to prepared baking dish. Top with crumble. Bake for ~45 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

Posted in Crumble, Rhubarb, Strawberry, Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

I’ll crumble for you

Friday, June 18th, 2010

Warning: this is the most pathetic blog post, ever.

It was Thursday, it was hot, and I had great aspirations of making ‘chicken under a brick’ for dinner. I was going to blog about it and I was going to take beautiful pictures. But, I had a busy morning, came home, and puttered around the house to discover that I needed a nap. So, I took that nap; I woke up and hoped to punch out a few projects before dinner. But I kept puttering. I took my dog, Frankie, on a walk around the block and came back winded and rosy cheeked (okay I was sweating). The thought of going to the store, coming home, starting the grill, walking up and down our steps to the back patio seemed just too daunting.

So I just sat down with a fan on me and my large belly and started typing this. I figure I should provide all of you with a recipe for the week. I have one, but here’s the sad part: I have never made this dish and I have no photo. My friend, Gretchen, brought over a strawberry/rhubarb crumble a few weeks back—it was so good. So last weekend when my sister-in-law, Katie, was over, I put her to work with the same project. In my defense, I have eaten a lot of this crumble and know that it’s really delicious.

The crumble is tart, sweet, buttery, and crunchy. When served warm with ice cream, it’s plate-lickin’-good. Or I also found that it is quite tasty cold from the fridge after breakfast. This recipe is the real deal, you just have a very pregnant blog writer who could not get her act together this week. At least you were warned.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
adapted from Bon Appetit
Serves 8

Ingredients:
3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
Large pinch of salt
6 TBS (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup walnuts – chopped
1 tsp vanilla paste
1 pound strawberries, hulled, halved (about 4 cups)
12 ounces rhubarb, ends trimmed, stalks cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces

Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter 11 x 7 x 2- inch glass baking dish. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add the butter, oats, and nuts. Mix with hands to create a crumble mixture. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine sugar and vanilla. Add prepared strawberries and rhubarb. Add to prepared baking dish. Top with crumble. Bake for ~45 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

Posted in Crumble, Rhubarb, Strawberry | 5 Comments »

I’m not who you think I am

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

We used to have a rhubarb plant in our backyard. The plant actually grew out of an old tree stump in the back corner of the yard. I always thought it was a weed. But one night my mom made a strawberry rhubarb pie and that was no weed my friends. I was shocked that all of that deliciousness came from the “weed-plant.”

For some reason the stump was removed from our backyard and with it went the rhubarb plant. Bummer.

I made some rhubarb preserves last year and made some more a couple of weeks ago to have with our Mother’s Day waffles. But I needed to find some new uses for the ‘weed-plant.’ I decided, why not take the strawberry/rhubarb combo to the savory side?

I love any type of chicken salad–the basic stuff with mayo and celery, but I also love just adding whatever I have in the refrigerator. So the other day, it was strawberries, rhubarb, fennel, and basil. The ‘weed-plant’ did not disappoint. I think the logical next step is to pick out a plot of soil in our condo’s back courtyard and plant some rhubarb of my own. Now the only challenge will be making sure our maintenance crew knows to leave it alone.

Strawberry Rhubarb Chicken Salad
Serves 2

2 bone-in chicken breasts
olive oil
s and p
2 rhubarb stalks – medium dice
1 (small) shallot – medium dice
sugar
10 strawberries – rough chop
1 fennel bulb – small dice
basil – small dice

Dressing

1 part red wine vinegar
2 parts olive oil
agave syrup to taste
s and p

Preheat oven to 425 F. Rinse and dry chicken. Season the chicken with olive oil, generous salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes or until the juices run clear. Let sit until cool. While roasting prepare the other ingredients. Place the rhubarb and shallot on a baking sheet, sprinkle with sugar; roast for 10 minutes or until tender. Let cool. Remove chicken skin and breast from bone. Roughly chop chicken.

To make the dressing combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together or place in a tupperware container and shake until emulsified.

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add desired amount of dressing. Garnish with fresh basil. Serve over greens or on crusty bakery bread.

**If making in advance, do not add strawberries until just before serving.

Posted in Chicken Salad, Rhubarb, Strawberry | 1 Comment »

If you don’t stop and look around once in a while…

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

Sunday was a typical Ferris Bueller-kind-of-day in Chicago. The only difference no one had to ditch school or work to enjoy it. On days like this, I need significant outdoor activity, dinner al fresco, and a refreshing cocktail.

Brian and I started the day early by waking up for Mass at Old Saint Pat’s in the city. After Mass we loaded up the Jeep and headed west for a hike at Blackwell Forest Preserve. The drive out is a generous 30 minutes; we called on our families to see if they could make it to our place by five for an impromptu BBQ.

I was shocked—everyone was in. I decided on a menu that was somewhat new and would allow me to attempt to wow guests but not spend too much time in my apron.

MENU: Homemade Rhubarb Preserves over Brie (new) | Grilled Pork Tenderloin |Strawberry Pizza (new and inspired by fellow culinary student and blogger, Heather) | Simple Salad | Store Bought Dessert

It was six and our house was bustling with people. Brian was taking drink orders. He thinks that vodka tonics are hands down the ultimate summer beverage. I agree but two of those drinks and I have a “lean over” (an undeserving hangover) the next morning. I ordered a white wine spritzer.

The Pfisters and the Shields came hungry—except for one. That one, Charlie, brought his own feed bag of apple sauce, a banana, and Ramen noodles. Charlie did not have any refreshing beverages or strawberry pizza. He was frustrated listening to the food reviews that night and is ready for another unexpected call for a BBQ featuring same menu.

After everyone left, I sat down and could not help but be incredibly grateful for a Sunday—that was “so choice.”

Rhubarb Preserves

5 large rhubarb stalks
1 part water
1 part sugar

Trim and chop the rhubarb stalks-2 inch portions. Place rhubarb in a small sauce pot. Measure by 1/2 cup the amount of water needed to just cover the rhubarb. Add equal parts sugar to water. Cook over high heat until rhubarb is tender. Puree mixture with an emersion blender. Reduce liquid until it starts to thicken. Store in fridge.

Strawberry Pizza with Balsamic Drizzle
Chef Notes

pizza dough
olive oil
garlic – minced
strawberries – thin slice
basil – chiffinade (small ribbon)
arugula – chiffinade (small ribbon)
ricotta cheese – crumbled
parmesan cheese – grated
s and p
balsamic Syrup (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 425. Roll out pizza dough. Cover dough with olive oil and the other ingredients as follows: garlic, strawberries, basil, arugula, ricotta cheese, and parmesan cheese (moderate amount). Season with salt and pepper. Cook the pizza for 15 minutes on a pizza stone or parchment paper. Remove pizza from the oven; cut and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Drizzle the balsamic syrup over the pizza with a small spoon.


Balsamic Syrup

1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter

Heat the balsamic vinegar and sugar over medium heat until it develops a syrup. Be careful not to over heat – the mixture will become too thick. Add the butter just before use.

Posted in Balsamic Syrup, Pizza, Rhubarb Preserves, Strawberry | 1 Comment »