Makes 4 – 5 servings
I visited our garden and found the rhubarb had popped up this past weekend with the warm weather. Even though rhubarb is quite tart it is so refreshing being high in calcium and fibre. Rhubarb recipes often call for a high amount of sugar but I find they are much tastier with less sugar. When making orange zest I highly recommend using a zester (they originated as a carpenters rasp at Lee Valley Tools). The joy of a zester is it grates just the thin orange skin with the oil without touching the bitter white pith.
- 3 cups (750 ml) fresh rhubarb cut into ½-inch (2 cm) dice
- Zest and juice from a Navel orange
- ½ cup (125 ml) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) cornstarch
- ½ cup (125 ml) ground blanched almonds
- ½ cup (125 ml) unbleached all-purpose flour
- Pinch salt
- 1/3 cup (75 ml) butter
- ¼ cup (60 ml) candied ginger in small dice. Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
2. Toss to coat the rhubarb with half the sugar, cornstarch and orange zest, and place in a low-sided casserole with the orange juice.
3. In a bowl, combine the ground almonds, flour, salt and remaining sugar. Use a grater to grate in the butter using your fingers to toss it through the dry ingredients. Sprinkle the mixture and the candied ginger over the rhubarb. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until the rhubarb is tender and golden on top. Serve at room temperature.
