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Rhubarb Custard

My rhubarb has finally reached a good height for pulling (did you know that rhubarb stalks should be pulled, and not cut or broken?) I’m excited for a mini-marathon of rhubarb recipes.

First up, Rhubarb Custard. This was adapted from a recipe in this month’s Martha Stewart Living. I made a few changes to make it (gasp) a tiny bit healthier, most notably the addition of white whole wheat flour. I typically don’t do this, but I gave it a try. The result? I liked it, my son loved it, and my husband was wondering what was wrong with me since I served a not-so-sweet dessert.

It isn’t super-sweet, and I actually think it would make for a special breakfast or unique brunch dish. Enjoy!

Rhubarb Custard, adapted from May 2010 Martha Stewart Living

butter for greasing baking dish
a few T of white sugar for sprinkling in dish
3/4 cup brown sugar
12 oz rhubarb, diced
1 1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup white whole wheat flour
3 eggs
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp salt

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and sprinkle sugar in 8×11 rectangular baking dish or large oval baking dish.

2) Toss rhubarb with 1/4 cup brown sugar in baking dish. Bake until rhubarb begins to soften, 20-30 minutes. If rhubarb is not in single layer, stir partway through baking. Leave oven on.

3) Meanwhile, blend milk, flour, eggs, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt, and almond extract in blender until smooth.

4) Pour over rhubarb, and bake until just set. Time will depend on the size of your dish and how thick the custard is, 25-35 minutes.

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Posted 03 May 2010 | dessert   rhubarb   seasonal   vegetarian | Comments (4) Tagged: , , ,

Baking for 9 months…

Please excuse the lack of new posts and recipes! Amidst all of the cookies, snacks, and dinners, we’ve been baking something else for approximately 9 months.

Our second son joined us early in the morning on April 27th. All are doing well, but for now I’m having a few family members do the cooking around here.

We’ll be back on track soon with some great springtime recipes – let’s hear it for rhubarb and asparagus – so please keep checking in!

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Posted 01 May 2010 | Uncategorized | Comments Off on Baking for 9 months…

Chocolate Almond Saltine Toffee

I adore this recipe. I came across it in the December 2006 issue of Food and Wine, and I love it so much this particular issue has not left my magazine basket in 4 years.

It just sits there, nestled in with the current issues of Bon Appetite, Food and Wine, and This Old House, waiting for my craving to strike. Or for me to get invited to a potluck where I’ve waited until the absolute last possible moment to make a dessert, and baking something is out of the question.

The foundation of this recipe actually comes from a Jewish treat often served at Passover. Here is the recipe that claims to be the original. It uses matzoh as the base, and I’ve heard it lovingly referred to as ‘matzoh crack’. To be honest, I don’t know if it is called this because it’s addictive, or because it is a toffee and you ‘crack’ it. If anyone knows, tell me about it (although the former is certainly more fun.)

I was inspired to make this by a recent post at Mostly Foodstuffs – Deena was supposed to make this treat for a Passover Seder, but couldn’t find any matzoh. As an alternative, she made a delicious looking flourless chocolate walnut cookie.

I have never made the matzoh version, but I do love the version from Food and Wine, which uses saltine crackers for an extra yummy sweet and salty finish. I adapted the recipe by using honey instead of corn syrup, and an extra sprinkle of flaky sea salt, just to put it over the top.

Chocolate Almond Saltine Toffee, adapted from December 2006 Food and Wine

about 60 saltine crackers
3 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 T honey
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup sliced almonds
flaky sea salt for sprinkling

1) Line a 12×17 rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or greased parchment paper. Lay saltine crackers to cover the sheet, filling in the gaps with broken crackers.

2) Begin melting butter in heavy saucepan. Add sugar and honey. Stir until smooth, and then increase heat to medium-high and insert candy thermometer.

3) Heat until toffee reaches 300 degrees (hard crack stage). Stir periodically to prevent burning the bottom.

4) Carefully pour toffee over crackers, and quickly spread to cover every cracker – an offset spatula is helpful.

5) Wait about 3 minutes for the toffee to set up, then sprinkle chocolate chips over warm toffee. Wait another few minutes until chips begin to melt, and then spread chocolate to form a thin later over toffee.

6) Sprinkle with sliced almonds, and then a pinch of flaky sea salt. When completely cooled, crack into shards and enjoy.

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Posted 23 April 2010 | dessert   vegetarian | Comments (4) Tagged: , ,

Springtime Lasagna

I realize that lasagna isn’t a very ‘springy dish’, but if you throw enough springtime vegetables in, it counts, right?

I chose to make lasagna because 1) it’s an easy dish to make in parts during naptimes (both my son’s and mine) and  2) I’m planning on freezing the leftovers so that we will have something to eat when our new baby arrives in a few weeks. Also, anything that I can throw asparagus in is great, as we have a patch the length of a garage at our new house. Expect to see lots of asparagus recipes coming soon…

Springtime Lasagna

20 oz sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 diced red onion
generous pinches of oregano, red pepper flakes, and basil
salt and pepper
1 bunch spinach, chopped
1 lb asparagus, sliced very thin on the diagonal
45 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 cup fresh chopped chives
1 jar marinara sauce
3 cups mozzarella cheese
1 box lasagna noodles (I like Barilla no-boil noodles)

1) Crumble sausage in large skillet, add onion, oregano, crushed red pepper, and basil. Cook until sausage is no longer pink, and onion is soft. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2) Turn off heat, and add chopped spinach. Stir until slightly wilted. Add asparagus, ricotta, and about 2/3 of chives (reserve the rest for topping). Stir until well combined.

3) In a 9×13 pan, spread about 1 cup of sauce on the bottom. Lay out first layer of noodles, 1/3 of ricotta/sausage mixture, and 1 cup mozzarella.

4) Add next layer of noodles, next 1/3 of ricotta, and another cup of sauce.

5) Add third layer of noodles and the last 1/3 of ricotta.

6) Top with last of your noodles, and add all remaining sauce. If using no boil noodles, make sure all top noodles are well-coated with sauce. Top with last two cups of mozzarella, and sprinkle with remaining chives.

7) Cook in a preheated oven at 375 degrees, for 45 minutes with foil. Remove foil, and cook for 15-20 minutes longer, until cheese is bubbly. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

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Posted 19 April 2010 | asparagus   comfort food   pasta   seasonal | Comments (1) Tagged: , , ,

Vote for me at Babble.com

I’ve been nominated as a favorite ‘mom food blogger’ at www.babble.com (a fun parenting site, if you haven’t checked it out before.)

If you haven’t already, vote for me by finding Tallgrass Kitchen and clicking on the ‘I like this’ button.

The race is heated, but I’d love to make the top 10! Not sure how long voting will go, so stop by soon!

http://www.babble.com/babble-best/top-50-mommy-food-blogs/nominate-a-food-blog/

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Posted 17 April 2010 | Uncategorized | Comments Off on Vote for me at Babble.com