Red-streaked stalks of rhubarb appear in tight bundles in our CSA each spring, and as soon as spring fades into summer at the local farm, the rhubarb from our own garden is ready for the harvest.  My family lives high in the mountains, where the force of summer's heat never quite reaches and we can grow cool weather crops from July through September until the snows begin again.

Rhubarb is a favorite of mine, its tartness marrying well with sweet things - strawberries, of course, but also mineral-rich brown sugars whose faint acidity provides a complement for the vegetable's natural, rounded sour notes.

Making the Cake

Skillet cakes are my favorite cakes - simple to prepare and served in an old-fashioned cast-iron skillet which is, incidentally, the most used piece of equipment in my kitchen. I start by blending freshly ground whole-grain flour with yogurt, and letting it soak for a period of time, a process that not only increases the bioavailability of the minerals it contains, but that also softens the crumb delivering a delicious, light cake.  The next day, I saute a bit of fruit (or, in this case, rhubarb) in jaggery and butter until it softens, finish off the batter, and bake.  Impossibly easy, and impassibly delicious.

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Rhubarb Skillet Cake Recipe

Jaggery's mineral-infused sweetness with faint strawberry notes makes a good match for rhubarb. They combine well for this old-fashioned skillet cake. Soaking the whole-grain spelt flour overnight in yogurt softens the crumb of the cake.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, jaggery, rhubarb

Prep Time 12 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 13 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 egg (beaten)
• ¾ cup jaggery (tightly packed)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose einkorn flour
• 1 teaspoon ground ceylon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Rhubarb

• ¾ pound rhubarb
• ½ cup jaggery (tightly packed)
• 3 tablespoons ghee

Crumb Topping

• ¾ cup blanched almond flour
• ½ cup jaggery (tightly packed)
• ½ teaspoon ground ceylon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons ghee

Instructions

• The night before you plan to bake, beat the spelt with yogurt until loosely combined. Cover the bowl with tight-fitting plastic wrap lest it dry out, and set it in a warm spot in your kitchen overnight for 8 to 12 hours.
• The next day, chop the rhubarb into ¼-inch dice. Toss it into a bowl and sprinkle ½ cup jaggery over the rhubarb. Allow the rhubarb to macerate in the jaggery for about an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of clarified butter or ghee over low heat in a well-seasoned 9-inch cast iron skillet. Toss the macerated rhubarb into the hot butter and saute about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and prepare the cake batter.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with ¾ cup jaggery until smooth, then beat in the vanilla extract. Working ½ cup at a time, beat in the batter of yogurt-soaked spelt flour. In a separate bowl, whisk high-extraction flour with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, orange zest, baking soda and salt. Working ½ cup at a time, beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until they form a smooth batter.
• Prepare the jaggery crumb in a small to medium-sized mixing bowl. Beat the almond flour and jaggery together with cinnamon, then slowly beat in 3 tablespoons melted butter.
• To assemble the cake, pour the cake batter into the skillet over the rhubarb. Sprinkle the jaggery crumb over the cake batter, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out clean - about 1 hour. Allow to cool about 20 minutes before dipping into it with a spoon and scooping it out onto waiting plates.

The post Rhubarb Skillet Cake with Jaggery Crumb appeared first on Nourished Kitchen.

This strawberry horchata is made from tigernuts, as a riff on traditional horchata de chufa. It has a lovely sweetness touched with almonds and plenty of fresh strawberries.

Why Tigernuts Make Great Horchata

Tigernuts arrived in Spain from Africa with the Moors.  And they're used in traditional preparations of the classical Spanish drink: horchata.  White rice, less expensive and more widely available, has replaced tigernuts.

Tigernuts are particularly rich in minerals like magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and potassium as well as vitamins C and E.  They're also a good source of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat thought to boost HDL (good cholesterol) levels.  Tigernuts are also particularly rich in resistant starch which helps to build and support gut health, and may even play a role in reducing insulin resistance.

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Strawberry Horchata

Strawberry horchata is at once creamy and light, with bright notes of fresh berries tempered by the milky sweetness of tigernuts and almonds.

Cuisine spanish

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Author Jenny

Ingredients

• ½ cup tigernuts
• ½ cup almonds
• 4 cups hot water
• 2 cups hulled and coarsely chopped strawberries
• jaggery (or brown sugar)

Instructions

• Pour tigernuts and almonds into the pitcher of a high-powered blender. Cover them with hot water, and allow them to soak overnight at room temperature, at least 8 and up to 12 hours.
• Add the strawberries to the blender, and blend the fruit, tigernuts and nuts together with the soaking water at two minutes.
• Strain the horchata through cheesecloth and into a pitcher. Stir in jaggery or honey to sweeten the horchata to your liking. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill, and serve over ice. Strawberry horchata will keep up to one week.

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Bright with the flavors of berries and stonefruit, Old Bachelor's Jam is like summer in a bottle. This old-world, fruit-infused liqueur is one of the easiest recipes you can make. When the cold of winter sets in, opening up a bottle of this sweet, fruity liqueur brings back all the memories and flavors of summer.

What is it?

Bachelor's jam is an old-world liqueur made by soaking summer fruit in brandy and sugar. As cherries, berries, peaches, and plums steep in the brandy over several months, they infuse the brandy with their flavor. The result is a sweet, fruit-forward liqueur that's equally delicious served on the rocks as it is spooned over ice cream.

More a technique than a recipe, bachelor's jam is rooted in old French food preservation. In France, the drink is known as Liqueur de View Garçon. Before the advent of refrigeration, people relied on other food preservation techniques that don't require cold temperatures.

Think about how you might use salt to ferment vegetables, sugar to make jam, or vinegar to make pickles. One popular method was to soak the fruit in hard alcohol, such as brandy, vodka, or rum.

It's how thrifty cooks made classics such as brandied cherries and noyaux. And bachelor's jam is just a riff on that same concept.

What's in it?

Bachelor's jam contains three basic ingredients: fruit, sugar, and hard alcohol. You can use just about any summer fruit you like. Berries and stonefruit are particularly good options, and some of the best jam is made by adding fruit to the pot as it comes into season.

• Summer fruit is the heart of Bachelor's Jam. Add fruit to your crock as it comes into season - strawberries in early summer. Cherries and apricots come next followed by peaches, plums, blackberries, and other fruits of late summer.
• Brandy is the hard liquor added to most recipes. It offers a sweet, apple-like flavor that works well with fruit. You can also use other hard liquors as it suits you and both vodka and rum often make an appearance in similar recipes.
• Sugar sweetens the liqueur and also helps to preserve the fruit for long-term storage. Cane sugar is traditionally used, but you can use palm sugar, maple syrup, or even honey if you prefer.

Tips for Making Bachelor's Jam

Making Bachelor's Jam is effortless. The idea behind the recipe is that it's so easy that an old bachelor (presumably with little kitchen skill) would have no trouble making it.

You begin by layering fresh fruit with sugar and then covering it with brandy. As summer would wear on, you'd add new layers of fruit, sugar, and brandy. Letting the fruit infuse into the sugar-sweetened brandy over several months gives the liqueur the best flavor, and the drink often wasn't opened again until winter set in.

To make Bachelor's Jam requires an element of flexibility. You use what's in season and keep the pot going until winter. While it's one of the easiest liqueurs you can make at home, there are a few tips you'll want to keep in mind.

• Embrace flexibility. As long as your fruit is submerged in enough vodka or brandy, it should keep fine. So keep a little room in your jar to add a few new pieces of fruit as they come into season.
• Use ripe, good-tasting fruit. Your liqueur will only taste as good as what you put into it. So use ripe, sweet, flavorful fruit. Use fruit free from soft spots, and avoid fruit that teeters toward over-ripe or spoiled.
• If the fruit floats to the surface, consider weighing it down with glass fermentation weights so that it stays submerged in the alcohol.
• Use a non-reactive lid when sealing the jar. Metal lids may corrode when exposed to alcohol, so use a plastic or other non-reactive lid. If you only have metal lids, line them with a square of wax paper to prevent corrosion.
• Have patience. While you can technically serve the drink just about anytime, wait at least 3 months before trying it for the best flavor. Traditionally, the crock was often opened and the liqueur was shared around Christmastime.

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Bachelor's Jam Recipe

Originally, Bachelor's Jam was made in huge quantities and added to throughout the summer season. For this scaled-down version, you can make it all at once and tuck it in the cupboard until winter. This recipe makes about a quart, which is usually sufficient for most families, but you can easily double or triple the recipe if you wish to make more or share it with friends.

Course Beverage

Cuisine French

Keyword fruit

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Infusion 90 days days

Total Time 90 days days 5 minutes minutes

Servings 16 servings (1 quart)

Calories 74kcal

Author Jenny

Equipment

• 1 Quart-sized Jar
• Glass Weights
• Nonreactive Lid

Ingredients

• ¾ pound mixed summer fruit (berries, cherries, peaches, plums, etc.)
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¾ cup brandy (plus additional, if needed)

Instructions

• Remove the pits from any stone fruit, and chop large fruits into bite-sized pieces. Berries should be firm, and you can leave them whole. 
• Arrange the prepared fruit in the bottom of a quart-sized jar, and then sprinkle the sugar over it.  Pour in the brandy, adding more brandy to submerge the fruit by 1 inch if necessary.  If your fruit floats to the surface of the jar, weigh the it down with a small saucer or glass weight, and seal the jar with a nonreactive lid. 
• Transfer the jam to a cupboard and keep away from light and heat for at least 3 months. Store in a dark cupboard at room temperature for up to 1 year.

Nutrition

Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 19mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Try these fruity summer drinks next

Recipe Questions

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When strawberries are at their peak-ruby red, sun-warmed, and collapsing with juice-they hardly need embellishment. But a slow roast with a drizzle of honey coaxes out their hidden depths: jammy, rich, and heady with summer.

I like to add a whisper of lemon zest here. It complements the berries' brightness, adding a lift that feels just right for early summer. Spoon the berries over a yogurt or ice cream, or eat them fresh from the jar. It's a favorite in our house.

There's something deeply satisfying about roasting fruit-it's slow, simple, and always a little magical. Heat transforms even the humblest berries into something lush and syrupy, coaxing out their sweetness and concentrating their flavor. It's a method that rewards patience and makes the most of seasonal abundance.

Roasting works its quiet magic on all sorts of fruit, not just strawberries - I'm partial to roasted grapes. It's a simple technique that deepens flavor and brings out the natural sweetness in even the most modest harvest.

Ingredients + Substitutes

Strawberries: Choose the ripest berries you can find-local and in-season are best. If strawberries are out of season, try substituting raspberries or halved figs.

Honey: Runny honey works best here, adding floral sweetness and helping the fruit caramelize. Maple syrup or a touch of coconut nectar can stand in, though the flavor will shift slightly.

Olive Oil: A fruity extra virgin olive oil enriches the strawberries and balances their acidity. For a more neutral flavor, swap with avocado oil or melted ghee.

Lemon Zest: Adds brightness and an aromatic lift. You can substitute orange zest or a little ground coriander.

Sea Salt: Just a pinch sharpens all the flavors. If using a coarser salt, crush it lightly so it distributes more evenly.

How to Roast Strawberries

Start by rinsing the berries and trimming off their green caps. There's no need to fuss over pale centers-roasting brings out the best in every bit. Leave smaller berries whole, and halve the larger ones for even cooking.

Toss the fruit with honey, olive oil, a touch of lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. If you have a spent vanilla pod or a sprig of lemon balm, tuck it in for just a little burst of extra flavor.

Roast the berries on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350°F until their juices run thick and the edges begin to darken-about 25 minutes, but peek early to avoid overcooking. Give them a good stir about half-way through to promote even cooking.

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Honey-Roasted Strawberry Recipe

When strawberries are at their peak-ruby red, sun-warmed, and collapsing with juice-they hardly need embellishment. But a slow roast with a drizzle of honey coaxes out their hidden depths: jammy, rich, and heady with summer.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword citrus, fruit, honey, lemon, strawberries

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings (about 1 cup)

Author Jenny

Ingredients

• 1 pound ripe strawberries hulled and halved
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• Pinch sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a mixing bowl, gently toss strawberries with honey, lemon zest, and a pinch of sea salt. Spread onto the prepared baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, until softened and syrupy.
• Allow the berries to cool to room temperature and serve. Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Our Favorite Strawberry Recipes

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This strawberry herb shrub is a beautiful blend of sweet berries and calming herbs, sweetened with raw honey. Infused with chamomile, thyme, and schisandra berries, it's a refreshing, slightly tart drink perfect for spring and early summer.

Shrubs are traditional vinegar-based tonics that date back centuries-and this herbal version is as nourishing, flavorful, and colored like rubies. They carry an old-world charm, recalling herbal tonics and ancient kitchen alchemy.

There's something about them that feels both magical and practical. Maybe it's the elixir-like mix of vinegar, fruit, and herbs-or maybe it's just that they require only a few minutes of hands-on time, while the rest happens naturally, with time in the cupboard doing the heavy lifting.

Most of all, they're delicious. This version is one of my favorites. Perfect for early spring, it includes fresh strawberries and plenty of herbs. It riffs off a similar shrub I tucked into my third cookbook, Vibrant Botanicals.

Making a Shrub

Shrubs are traditionally made by infusing fruit and sometimes herbs in vinegar, then sweetening the mixture with honey or sugar. When sweetened with honey, like this one, the shrub also fits the definition of an oxymel-an ancient herbal preparation that combines vinegar and honey. The acid in the vinegar helps preserve the fruit and extract its flavor, while the sweetener balances its intense sourness.

There are two primary methods: the hot method, which cooks the fruit into a syrup before adding vinegar, and the cold infusion method, which steeps raw fruit and herbs in vinegar over time. This recipe uses the cold method-ideal for preserving the delicate aromatics of strawberries and herbs. Even better? It takes less hands-on time. You add fruit and herbs to a jar, cover it with vinegar, and let it sit - a sort of effortless kitchen magic.

After allowing the botanicals to steep in vinegar for about a month, you'll strain the solids and add honey. The result is a ruby-hued syrup that's complex and refreshing.

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Strawberry and Herb Shrub Recipe

A bright, herbaceous drinking vinegar made with strawberries, chamomile, thyme, and honey. This strawberry herb shrub is a springtime tonic-gently restorative, wildly flavorful, and beautifully simple to make.

Course Beverage

Cuisine American

Keyword herbs, strawberries

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Fermentation 30 days days

Total Time 30 days days 10 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Author Jenny

Equipment

• Quart-sized Jar
• Fine-mesh Sieve

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups strawberries (hulled and quartered)
• 1 tablespoon dried chamomile flowers
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 tablespoons schisandra berries (optional)
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup runny honey

Instructions

Preparing the berries and herbs.

• Place the strawberries, chamomile, thyme, and schisandra in a quart-sized jar.

Adding vinegar.

• Pour in the vinegar, seal the jar with a non-reactive lid, and store it away from direct light and heat for one month. Shake the jar daily.

Finishing the shrub.

• After a month, strain the vinegar, discarding the solids. Stir the honey into the infused vinegar. Seal tightly with a non-reactive lid and store in the cupboard away from light and heat for up to 1 year.

Recipe Questions

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With 11 backyard hens that leave my family with nearly a dozen eggs a day, we have been making the best of our seasonal harvest.  From simple, crustless quiche's, tortilla española, and even the yolks, eaten raw with a drizzle of honey... yes, the abundance of eggs have been a treasure in my home. Although all of these things are good, nothing quite compares to a silky, creamy, and gently sweetened flan made rich and creamy with the seasons freshest eggs and dairy.

Flan is traditional custard, which can be made in a variety of ways. In Spain, where my family is from, it's made simple, using just a few ingredients to let the flavors in its purest essence, shine. In this season when the pastures are vibrant and overflowing with every good grass and weed, it's to no surprise that a good flan is far richer and creamier than if made during any other part of the year.

A flan is traditionally made with a caramelized topping. Usually, I'll make simple syrup made with coconut palm sugar or rapadura. However, now that strawberries are coming into season and my children have been patiently waiting for the season's first berries, I couldn't help but make my own strawberry topping sweetened with a touch of local honey. To complement the gently sweetened strawberry topping, I made the custard cream heavy since our dairies have been in full production mode as well. The custard is delightfully sweetened with pure maple syrup from my father's backyard tree. It's much richer than the grade A syrup I usually purchase. It has a more intense flavor of maple and gives the flan delightful caramel undertones. To brighten the custard, I added some lemon zest garnished the flan with fresh whipped cream and a bit of fresh mint that has just begun to emerge in my gardens.

This nourishing treat made with the season's finest ingredients serves my family just as well for breakfast.

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Strawberry Flan

Creamy and vibrant with the bright flavor of strawberries, this flan is easy to make, nutrient-dense and perfect for a springtime dessert.

Course Dessert

Cuisine spanish

Keyword eggs, honey, strawberries

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Refrigerator 2 hours hours

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 504kcal

Author Diana Bauman

Ingredients

For the Topping

• 1 cup strawberries mashed
• ¼ cup honey

For the Custard

• 1 cups whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 6 egg yolks
• ½ cup Grade A dark maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest finely grated

Instructions

• In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, bring the strawberries and honey to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, constantly, until it reduces and thickens, 5 to 8 minutes. The natural pectin in the strawberries will give the syrup a thickened jam consistency once cooled.
• Once the strawberries have been cooked down, place about 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons to the bottom of each flan mold.
• Heat the oven to 300F.
• In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, over medium-high heat bring the milk, cream, and vanilla extract just to a boil. While the milk and cream are coming to a boil, In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, maple syrup, and lemon zest. Once the milk has just come to a boil, turn off the heat and gradually whisk in the hot milk into the egg mixture in the bowl.
• Once the ingredients have been whisked together, pour the custard into the flan molds.
• Put the individual molds into a baking dish or roasting pan. Using the bain-marie method (water-bath) pour in enough hot water into the baking dish or roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the molds. Bake for 50 minutes at 300F or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
• Remove the individual molds from the baking dish or roasting pan and let cool. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight before serving. Turn onto a dish and serve garnished with fresh whipped cream and mint.

Nutrition

Calories: 504kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 362mg | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 257mg | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 1570IU | Vitamin C: 15.4mg | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 0.9mg

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Growing up, every gathering at my grandfather's house involved full spreads of Italian food and seasonal libations. I remember polenta poured onto ten-foot tables, antipasti plates stacked high with marinated squid and salty olives, and different types homemade pasta. While most dishes, like pasta (hold the clam sauce, please), truly appealed to my youthful tastes, others required a more sophisticated palate. Pan-fried smelt … no thank you. Stinky cheeses … I'll pass. And distilled beverages that tasted like, well, Bactine … maybe next time.

Around Easter, my family broke lent's fast with traditional limoncello, an Italian after-dinner aperitif infused with the flavors of springtime. Of course I didn't appreciate this drink poured from a frosty bottle into slender, squat glasses. And instead of shooting it back (like I would've in my college days) the adults slowly sipped this cordial alongside their stovetop espresso.

Old Country Traditions

Limoncello, and most digestivi, dates back to the middle ages. These strong and often bitter drinks soothed the stomach after a heavy meal. Italian monks grew and infused herbs, concocting digestifs to ward off diseases like cholera. And Italian fisherman sipped limoncello each morning to stave a cold.  Families of the Amalfi Coast served this light and sweet digestif to guests when lemons were in season. It's incomparable flavor, due to the large fresh Italian lemons with thick flesh, became a fashionable drink and an Italian custom.

Today, Italians serve ice-cold limoncello after meals to give thanks, similar to the ancient monks. And the artisanal distillers still source their lemons directly from farmers and process them only after scrupulous selection.

A Maturing Palate

Despite my humble upbringing, the exposure to fine foods eventually paid off. My grownup tastes have since taken a liking to salty fish, aged cheese, and strong limoncello drinks. But instead of hunting down a bottle of the imported variety, like the kind my grandfather served, I prefer to make my own concoction with local distilled vodkas and only the best organic lemons.

Since limoncello is made from the zest, or peel, of the lemon, selecting fresh, pesticide-free fruit is important. Organic, in-season lemons yield a sweet tasting liquor with an almost fluorescent hue. And while traditionally enjoyed after meals, limoncello makes a perfect anytime drink (and much more pleasant than its bitter counterparts, Campari or Aperol). Savor it mixed with club soda or Pellegrino, or infused in desserts and sorbets.

Spring Limoncello

If I'm lucky, I'll craft my seasonal potion with fresh California lemons sent to me from my friend's backyard. But since citrus fruits aren't native to my mountain region, I'm confined organic varieties found at my local grocer.

On the alcohol front, however, I'm much more privileged. Local organic rye and potato vodkas create the base for my homemade digestif.

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Springtime Limoncello

Limoncello, an Italian digestif once used to ward off sickness, makes a delightful springtime aperitif. Work this DIY recipe, made from organic lemons and craft vodka, into your springtime traditions. It's delicious sipped on its own, or worked into desserts like this Limoncello Tiramisu.

Course Drinks

Cuisine Italian

Keyword lemons, limoncello, sugar

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 quarts

Calories 57kcal

Author Jenny

Ingredients

• 10 lemons
• 1 quart vodka
• 2 ½ cups water
• 1 ½ cups sugar

Instructions

• Wash and dry all the lemons.
• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the yellow zest from the lemons. Try to keep the long peels in tact. Trim away any large pieces of pith. Use the naked lemons promptly to make lemonade for the kiddos!
• Transfer the peels into a one-quart Bell jar and pour over the vodka, completely submerging the peels. Screw on the lid and let sit, away from direct sunlight, for two weeks (you can strain them earlier, but the longer they sit, the more lemony the taste).
• Strain the vodka through a fine mesh sieve. Discard the zest.
• Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring to form a simple syrup. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
• Pour the vodka into the syrup and stir to combine.
• Funnel the mixture into large bottles and cap or cork tightly.
• Store limoncello in the fridge for a minimum of four hours, and up to two weeks for a mellower taste, before consuming. Keeps in the fridge for up to one month and the freezer for up to a year.

Nutrition

Serving: 1oz | Calories: 57kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.25g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 23mg | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin C: 8.3mg

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If you can get a pan hot enough, but not too hot, fruit will positively melt into a lovely semi-soft consistency, its natural sugars caramelizing just a touch.  Naturally soft, tender fruits, like stonefruit and berries, yield themselves beautifully to this technique, with apricots being a favorite.

I start first by warming butter in a hot pan until it froths and foams, before tossing the apricots into the pan until they just begin to soften, their edges melting into one another and their skins blistering in the heat ever so slightly.  Then I pull them from the pan, top them with sweet, lusciously red raspberries and a dusting of ground pistachios which gives the dessert a lovely creaminess.

I serve the apricots and raspberries on their own, in little dessert bowls, though a drizzle of honey and dollop of whipped cream or Greek-style yogurt can provide a nice pairing.

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Melted Apricots with Fresh Raspberries

These fresh apricots positively melt in the heat of the pan before you toss them with fresh raspberries and sprinkle them with the lightest dusting of pistachios for an easy, no-fuss, one-pan dessert with no added sweetener.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 to 6 servings

Author Jenny

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 pound apricots (split in half and pitted)
• 2 cups fresh raspberries
• 2 tablespoons finely ground pistachios

Instructions

• Melt the butter in a nonreactive skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter melts into froth and foam, toss in the apricots, stirring frequently to prevent them from scorching, until they begin to soften ever so slightly.
• Spoon the melted apricots, and any remaining juice, into a serving dish. Top them with fresh raspberries and a dusting of finely ground pistachios. Serve immediately.

The post Melted Apricots with Fresh Raspberries appeared first on Nourished Kitchen.

What is it?

Mulberries are the long, dark purple berry of the mulberry (Morus spp.) tree. They're rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber. 

Mulberry season is brief, lasting only a few weeks during late spring. You may be able to find the berries at farmers' markets and specialty grocers if you don't grow them yourself. Look for these items during late spring or early summer.

Mulberry syrup is a sweet syrup made by cooking fresh mulberries with sugar and water. It has a sweet, delicate quality and a dark purple color. Like cherry cordial, the syrup is concentrated, so a little goes a long way.

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Mulberry Syrup Recipe

Deep, dark purple mulberries make a beautiful, garnet-colored syrup that busts with a berry-like sweetness. The key is to use ripe berries. Cook them in water and sugar until they burst. This will release their flavor and color into the syrup.

Course Sauce

Cuisine American

Keyword berries

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 20 servings (about 2 ½ cups)

Calories 83kcal

Author Jenny

Equipment

• food processor
• Small saucepan
• Fine-mesh Sieve
• flip-top bottles

Ingredients

• 2 cups mulberries
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Instructions

• Chop the berries coarsely either by hand or by pulsing them in a food processor until coarsely chopped.
• Add the berries, sugar, and water to a small saucepan. Warm over high heat until the water begins to boil. Turn down the heat to medium-high, and continue to simmer until the berries lose their form, about 10 minutes. You may need to mash the berries with a potato masher to speed up the process.
• Once the berries have lost their shape and the syrup is thick and brightly colored, strain it. Use a fine-mesh sieve to do this. Pour the syrup into a pitcher. Stir in the vinegar, and then transfer to a flip-top bottle. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Nutrition

Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.004g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Variations + Substitutions

Substitute an equal amount of minimally processed whole cane sugar for the granulated sugar. You can also use coconut sugar and palm sugar.

Use a mix of berries, such as mulberries, strawberries, and raspberries.

Add a split vanilla bean to the saucepan along with the sugar, mulberries, and water. 

A tablespoon or two of cacao nibs can bring out the flavor of the berries, too. Add the cacao to the saucepan at the same time that you add the berries, sugar, and water.

Skip the red wine vinegar and add a tablespoon of lemon juice instead.

Other Spring Fruit Recipes You'll Love

Recipe Questions

The post Mulberry Syrup appeared first on Nourished Kitchen.

What is a shrub?

A shrub is a sweet-and-sour drinking vinegar, similar to switchel or haymaker's punch. To make a shrub, you pour vinegar over fruit and let it stand for a few days. Then, you strain the fruit-infused vinegar and mix it with sugar or another sweetener.

In addition to fruit and vinegar, many shrub makers also add herbs, spices, and, occasionally, vegetables. Sugar remains the sweetener of choice; however, you can sweeten shrubs using other natural sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup, or molasses. This version of rhubarb shrub uses rhubarb, white wine vinegar, and sugar.

What's the history?

Sweetened vinegar-based drinks made with fruit, herbs, and spices have been prized for both their medicinal and culinary value since antiquity. Early Persian texts describe the benefits of sekanjabinat which comes from the words serkeh (vinegar) and anjabin (honey) made using herbs, spices, and fruit.

Later, these honey-sweetened vinegar drinks were adopted in Greece and spread throughout Europe where they were known as oxymels. Oxy refers to vinegar and mel to honey. Eventually, these medicinal cordials became what we know as shrubs today.

Shrubs and other drinking vinegars were popular in the 17th and 18th centuries before their popularity waned in the early 20th century with the advent of soda counters. Making shrubs offered an easy way to preserve summer fruit well into the cold winter months.

Additionally, vinegar-based drinks were thought to convey medicinal benefits as well such as supporting digestion, easing stomach upset, or soothing the common cold, depending on which fruits and herbs you add to the mix.

What's in it?

This rhubarb shrub is simple and easy to make. You'll need rhubarb, vinegar, and a sweetener. To this basic mix, you can also add fresh herbs such as mint or spices such as vanilla and cardamom.

• Rhubarb is a member of the buckwheat family, and it is rich in anthocyanins which give it a vivid red color. It's also rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. It has a tart flavor that works well with summer fruit.
• White wine vinegar works well with rhubarb since its pale color allows the red pigment in rhubarb to come through.
• Sugar gives the shrub its sweetness. Organic white sugar works well in rhubarb shrub because it helps to maintain a light color.

Tips for Making Rhubarb Shrub

As with many old-world recipes, shrubs are easy to make. You'll start by soaking the rhubarb in vinegar, then strain the infused vinegar before mixing it with sugar. Next, heat the sugar and vinegar together in a saucepan until it forms a fine syrup. Bottle and store.

• Choose brightly colored, red rhubarb. Part of the drink's charm is its color. And if your rhubarb is pale or green, your shrub will lack the vivid, vibrant pink color that makes it so visually pleasing.
• Chop the rhubarb into ¼-inch dice. Rhubarb cut into small pieces will produce a more colorful and flavorful vinegar.
• Use equal parts vinegar and sugar. While you can use less sugar if you like, true shrubs are made with equal parts vinegar and sugar to form a syrup. This balance of sweet and sour is what makes them so delicious.
• Add your sugar at the end. Some modern recipes call for adding sugar to the vinegar-rhubarb mixture; however, traditional recipes call for adding the sugar just before bottling and warming it with the vinegar until dissolved. The traditional method results in better quality shrub syrup.
• Use only a little bit. Remember the shrub is designed to be diluted. So use about 1 tablespoon to 2 tablespoons of shrub syrup diluted into mineral water or spirits.

Print

Rhubarb Shrub Recipe

With its pretty pink color and sweet-and-sour flavor, this simple shrub is a delicious and simple way to use up all the rhubarb in your garden. Mint, cardamom, and ginger are all nice additions to the basic recipe, if you'd like to liven it up a bit.

Course Beverage

Cuisine American

Keyword rhubarb

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Infusion 5 days days

Total Time 5 days days 15 minutes minutes

Servings 16 servings

Calories 51kcal

Author Jenny

Equipment

• Quart-sized Jar
• Fine-mesh Sieve
• Small saucepan

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups chopped rhubarb
• 1 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 cup sugar

Instructions

• Place the rhubarb into a quart-sized mason jar. Cover with vinegar, and then seal tightly.  Let it sit, away from direct light and heat, for 5 days.  Shake the jar daily.
• Strain the rhubarb vinegar through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan.  Stir in the sugar, and set the saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat. Warm the vinegar and sugar together until the sugar completely dissolves, forming a fine syrup.  Transfer the shrub syrup to a bottle.
• To serve, mix one tablespoon of the syrup into 8 to 12 ounces of sparkling water, tap water, or mix into a cocktail.

Nutrition

Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 6mg | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg

Recipe Questions

The post Rhubarb Shrub appeared first on Nourished Kitchen.