Saturday, June 19, 2010

Briefly Noted: Rhubarb and...

Cobbler

This rhubarb cobbler from Grey Dog wasn't bad, but it had a little too much orange in it.  Speaking of rhubarb and orange (a flavor combination I'd never tried before)...

What is it with people who insist on mixing rhubarb with other fruits?  Rhubarb doesn't need orange (or its "classic" partner, strawberries).  It's perfection (with the right amount of sugar, of course) on its own.  I grew up eating rhubarb cobbler.  The only fruit in it was rhubarb.  It was delicious.  Rhubarb-strawberry cobblers and pies have never tasted right to me.  Strawberries are pretty lackluster when baked.  They don't really hold their own.  They bring me down, man.  They cover up the brightness of the rhubarb.

Rhubarb is doing it for herself, everybody!  Let her shine.

This said, there is an exception (or three) to every rule.  Dr. Joe mentioned to me the other day that he'd once made a rhubarb and cranberry pie.  I'd eat that in a heartbeat.  I think two sour fruits together are sometimes nicer than a sour and a sweet fruit (though it's recommended to mix crisp sour and soft sweet apples in apple pie, and I agree). 

If you insist on not allowing rhubarb a solo in the spotlight, another Snackreligious-approved combo is rhubarb with sour cherries.  Don't lull your mouths, people.  Explode your mouths!

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2 comments:

Dave said...

100% agree that rhubarb can stand on its own. I think the strawberry/rhubarb combo first came about because strawberries are naturally so sweet and were used to temper the sour rhubarb.

Anyway, I like rhubarb straight, though I do occasionally make a rhubarb-gooseberry pie that is pretty decent if I say so myself. =)

Jennette said...

I'm not even sure I've ever had a gooseberry! This needs to be rectified...

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