Image captured by Jasmine Wiggins
In the heart of spring, a culinary delight resurfaces - rhubarb. This vegetable, often seen in stores and markets during this season, offers a unique tart and polarizing taste that can elevate various recipes.
A recent encounter with rhubarb by an individual marked the arrival of spring. Inspired, they embarked on a delightful journey of creating Strawberry Rhubarb Buttermilk Ice Cream. This ice cream recipe includes strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice, heavy cream, whole milk, egg yolks, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and graham crackers for the sandwiches.
The ice cream base is made by whisking together egg yolks, sugar, heavy cream, whole milk, and vanilla extract. After simmering the mixture until thickened, it is strained into a clean bowl and refrigerated for at least two hours or overnight. Buttermilk is then whisked in before freezing.
While graham flour is traditionally used for graham crackers, whole-wheat flour can be a suitable substitute if graham flour is unavailable. The recipe for graham crackers includes graham flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, unsalted butter, honey, milk, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar for dusting. The dough is rolled out to 1/8-inch thickness and cut into rectangles before baking at 350°F for about 15 minutes or until dark golden brown.
The ice cream sandwiches are assembled by placing ice cream between two graham crackers and enjoying immediately, or returning to the freezer until ready to serve. However, it's best to eat the graham crackers within a couple of hours to avoid them becoming soggy.
Besides Strawberry Rhubarb Buttermilk Ice Cream, rhubarb can be used in several delicious recipes. Rhubarb Crisp is a dessert with tart rhubarb pieces mixed with sugar, cornstarch, orange juice, and zest, topped with a buttery oat, almond flour, walnut, cinnamon crumble. Rhubarb Meringue Dessert involves a baked crust topped with a creamy rhubarb filling and fluffy meringue peaks. Strawberry Rhubarb Fool is a layered dessert consisting of a fruit compote and homemade whipped cream. Vegan Rhubarb Crisp is a vegan and gluten-free adaptation of the traditional crisp.
Remember, only the stalks of rhubarb are edible, while the leaves contain high amounts of oxalic acid and are poisonous.
As the weather continues to fluctuate, with unexpected Arctic weather still a possibility, these rhubarb recipes provide a taste of spring and a welcome respite from the chill. This story is part of a special eight-month series on the future of food on the website.
a) Embarking on a health-and-wellness journey, the individual decided to experiment with rhubarb, creating a Strawberry Rhubarb Buttermilk Ice Cream recipe that promotes food-and-drink variety.
b) With the arrival of spring and a taste of its unique flavor, rhubarb offers options beyond the traditional Strawberry Rhubarb Buttermilk Ice Cream, such as the vegan and gluten-free Vegan Rhubarb Crisp.
c) Recognizing the role of rhubarb in health-and-wellness, science continues to study its potential benefits, resulting in impressive recipes like Strawberry Rhubarb Meringue Dessert and Rhubarb Crisp, showcasing a modern lifestyle of sustainable and delicious food decisions.
