Yet another promising day at the farmer’s market! This time I went to a different town’s, that was located on their commons. It was beautiful, seeing all of those tents with smiling people standing underneath each ones. Watching them share advice, recipes and most of all, their excitement about their food. The strawberries and rhubarb were in abundance! I couldn’t resist the urge to pick up a quart of fresh local strawberries and a pound of rhubarb.
In the kitchen, after washing the red jewels, I took a bite out of one. I let out a prolonged mmmmmm, indicating my pleasure with the fruit. Looking down at the fruit, I was delighted to see how red it was on the inside. Normally when we buy strawberries at the grocery stores, typically imported from California, they have white flesh on the inside. What a difference does it make!
Growing up, my father always cut up strawberries and rhubarb, and threw it in a large sauce pan, pouring in a bit of sugar and water. Then he would leave it on the stove top, cooking as he chopped away, preparing our dinner. The result was a enticing sauce that was absolutely heavenly. A bite of the sauce always forced me to close my eyes, and slowly sway to the music it made. I wanted to create the same moment on my own in the kitchen.
Fresh strawberries and rhubarb cut up, in the pan
Stirring after adding a few ingredients
The sauce of summer that makes me dance
It was very simple to make. I didn’t use any exact measurements, but if I had to venture a guess, the recipe would read as below:
1 pound fresh rhubarb, chopped
1 quart fresh strawberries, cut up
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Mix all in a large saucepan, and cook on medium heat until throughly mixed. You want the rhubarb soft. This should take approximately 15 minutes. Take care not to burn it! This often happens when my Dad was distracted cooking something that required his attention. My way of knowing that it was ready? When I can’t stop sneaking tastes while making it.
It’s great on its own, over ice cream or enjoy it the way I did: with breakfast, over my pancakes. No maple syrup needed! For the pancakes, I used Elana’s Pantry’s pancake recipes. It’s highly recommended!!!
Pancakes with strawberry rhubarb sauce
Swooning yet? If not, I at least hope you’re running down to the farmer’s market to see what treasures you can uncover!
Cooking with Dru 