A sign that spring is here at least in my part of the world is associated with the appearance of a plentiful supply of ruby red stalks of fresh rhubarb on farmers’ market tables everywhere. (If you don’t find fresh rhubarb at your local markets, you can easily order it online from www.melissas.com, a great source for specialty produce that ships out orders quickly and efficiently, all over the country). Currently at my local farmers’ market, almost pencil thin arcs of this vegetable (AKA pie plant named for its common use as a filling for …you guessed it) or fat straight stalks are bunched up between piles of Swiss chard (whose stems, when red, could be mistaken for the rhubarb). But that is where the similarity ends. Rhubarb has a hard-to-pin-down flavor personality, at once tart and fruity, best evoked when cooked with a restrained amount of sugar or other sweetener (agave, mild honey and even a light maple syrup would all work well here). The stems of a plant with large poisonous leaves, rhubarb is best cooked lightly just until tender but not disintegrating and pairs beautifully with ginger in all of its forms (dried, fresh, crystallized). It’s also equally at home as an accompaniment to savory dishes such as pork or duck. Here I like to braise it in a bit of white wine and honey. For sweet applications, I like to include some in quick breads, muffins or scones. But for a real refreshing treat, try it in frozen desserts such as the Rhubarb-Ginger Sorbet with Vanilla Ice Cream which accompanies this post. Another great use of cooked rhubarb would be as a filling in a layered and buttered filo dough, a kind of simplified strudel, with freshly made ricotta, grated orange zest, some sugar, thickened with a bit of egg and flour. If you haven’t been a fan of this spring specialty yet, now’s the time to try it.

Simple to make, this frozen dessert takes full advantage of rhubarb’s tart flavor and rosy glow. And it doesn’t even require an ice cream machine. Just freeze the mixture of lightly sweetened cooked rhubarb, and then just before serving, whirl it in a blender or food processor to achieve a creamy texture. Subtle and bracing, this frozen treat pairs beautifully with a scoop of store-bought premium-quality vanilla ice cream. If you like, you can finish off the plate with a freshly baked molasses ginger cookie (one of those soft baked, aromatic cookies that’s best just out of the oven.) Studded with candied ginger and a hefty dose of dried ground ginger, here’s a great old-fashioned cookie that is positively addictive.

For the sorbet:

4 ounces (generous 1/2 c.) granulated sugar
4 ounces (1/2 cup) water
2 ounces (approximately 2 to 3 inch long piece, depending on thickness) fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
8 ounces fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
Juice of 1 medium lemon, sieved

In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Add ginger root and continue cooking over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Sieve out ginger and discard, reserving the syrup. Return the syrup to a clean saucepan and add the rhubarb. Cook over medium heat until tender. When tender, remove from the heat, cool and then puree the mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add lemon juice and then freeze, covered, in a shallow container. Allow to remain frozen until just before serving. When ready to serve, cut the frozen mixture into chunks and process in a blender or food processor just until creamy. Spoon or scoop into serving glasses with scoops of vanilla ice cream, if desired. Serve a molasses ginger cookie on the side, if you wish.

For the molasses-ginger cookie:

Note: This recipe makes 2 dozen cookies, each measuring about 1-3/4 to 2 inches in diameter, plenty for leftovers after serving out all of the sorbet

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 t. ground ginger
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
6 ounces (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
7 ounces (1-1/2 cups) brown sugar, spooned to measure, not compacted
3 ounces (approximately 1/4 c.) molasses
1 large egg
4 ounces candied ginger, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Granulated sugar placed into a shallow container and set aside, ready to coat the cookies before baking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift the flour, ground ginger, baking soda and salt and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer outfitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until soft, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl frequently. Add the brown sugar and molasses and mix to blend, scraping the bowl again to mix thoroughly. Add the egg and mix to blend. Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix just until they disappear. Fold in the candied ginger and mix to distribute evenly throughout the dough. Using a spoon or small ice cream scoop, portion out the cookie dough into 24 equal rounds. Coat each cookie with the granulated sugar. Place onto parchment-lined baking sheets, allowing about 2 inches between each cookie. Bake until puffed and slightly firm, about 12 minutes. These cookies will firm more as they cool so don’t be tempted to bake them until they are fully firm or they will be overly hard when cool.
Store in an airtight container until ready to serve. These are best served just after removing them from the oven and cool, or within the same day.

Spring has definitely sprung when a full array of fresh green asparagus appear on farmers market shelves and in supermarkets everywhere. From pencil thin to spears thicker than your thumb, asparagus are truly nature’s gift of the season. Capturing their wonderfully grassy, vernal flavor is easy when adding them in pureed form to a risotto just before serving. Make the risotto by beginning with some diced onions cooked in just the barest slick of bacon fat and olive oil. Then the fat kernels of Italian Arborio rice are stirred into the pan. Deglaze the pan with a bit of white wine, and now you are ready to add hot stock and a bay leaf, stirring with each addition of liquid. When the rice is just tender but not distintegrating, be ready to mix in the asparagus puree, and grate some top quality Parmigiano-Reggiano, the king of Italian cheeses, to complete the base of the dish. Now truly is the time of year to make this dish when the spears are particularly tender from tip to bottom, requiring what seems like a flash in the pan of boiling water. When drained and then “shocked” in ice water and drained again, the asparagus will retain its bright green color, leading to a beautiful pastel green in the finished risotto. A few curls of that same Parmigiano (for flavor) and some crisp shards of bacon (for texture and a slight smokiness) are all that are needed to top off the dish.

1 lb. fresh asparagus, thick wooden stem ends trimmed, stems separated from tips

4 strips bacon (approximately 4 ounces)

1/2 c. dry white vermouth

Fruity olive oil, as needed

1 large onion, finely chopped, to yield approximately 1 cup

3/4 c. Arborio rice, uncooked (available in supermarkets, specialty stores and Italian markets)

4 c. (approximately) chicken stock (homemade or purchased in a tetrapak)

2 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano, grated, plus additional, shaved in shards using a vegetable peeler or cheese plane to top the finished dish

2 T. sweet unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To cook the asparagus:

In a wide sautepan, bring 1 inch of water, lightly salted, to the boil. Carefully add the trimmed asparagus stems and tips and cook just until tender, about 5 minutes. Once tender, remove the asparagus and separate out tips from the stems, rinsing both separately in cold water. Now place the asparagus stems and tips into separate bowls of ice water to cool quickly and fully and to set their bright green color. Drain both, set aside the tips, and using a blender or food processor, puree the stems until perfectly smooth. Set puree aside and proceed with making the risotto.

For the risotto:

In a cast iron or other heavy saucepan, cook the bacon until lightly browned and crisp. Remove from the pan and place the bacon onto absorbent paper toweling. Then pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of the rendered bacon fat. Add just enough olive oil to the bacon fat remaining in the pan to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onions and cook, stirring, over low heat until tender and lightly browned. Add the vermouth and cook until most of the liquid has been evaporated. Over medium heat, add the rice and stir to coat with the fat in the pan.

Heat the stock in a separate saucepan (keeping it warm, just below the simmer) and add it, one half cup at a time, stirring the rice mixture constantly. With the heat set at medium beneath the pan, when this first amount of liquid has been fully absorbed, add the next half cup of the stock, stirring constantly. Continue adding the stock in 1/2 cup increments, cooking and stirring the mixture until the rice is tender but not mushy. Each grain of rice should be intact. Once the risotto is done, gently mix in the pureed asparagus, the reserved blanched asparagus tips, and the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and the butter. Season as needed with salt and black pepper. Portion out into four heated serving bowls. Garnish with bacon and shards of shaved additional Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve immediately.

Available from February through June, whether steamed, broiled, oven-roasted or blanched in hot water, these springtime treats are a welcome addition to the cook’s pantry after a winter of roots and squash. Whether bathed in a flavored splash of olive oil, enriched with nutty browned butter or topped with hollandaise or some other variant of an egg-and-melted butter-based emulsion, tender spears have an touch of luxury clinging to them, whatever their treatment.

Botanically speaking, asparagus are the sprouts of a member of the lily family. With their long history, from their wild beginnings prized by the early Arabs and Romans, to their highly cultivated modern form, these harbingers of spring were popular back in 16th and 17th century France. Flash forward to 1840’s Germany, and you will find asparagus being preserved, pickled and otherwise put up for later consumption and even exported to other countries such as Russia and Finland. In the early parts of the 20th century, Germany continued as a leader in growing special crops including asparagus expressly for the purpose of canning them. In the US, preserving food, including vegetables such as asparagus, became big business in the latter part of the 19th century, as a way of sharing the agricultural bounty across the entire country beyond where fresh asparagus could be grown (namely Stockton, California and the area surrounding it in the San Joaquin Valley; since 1986 this town has been known as the asparagus capital of the US, growing more than 90 percent of the fresh-market asparagus grown in the country), with a yearly festival in April to commemorate and celebrate that status.

When spring comes in southern California one of the first pleasures at the farmers markets is the appearance of a profusion of highly flavored, vibrantly colored all-the-way-through local strawberries. Whether Chandler, Seascape, Albion or Gaviota varieties (just to name a few), these berries put a smile on winter-weary faces (even if this winter has been one of the shortest in recent memory). Eating them by the sweet/tart bowlful dolloped with creme fraiche and the barest sprinkling of Demerara or other raw crunchy sugar, or topping a bowl of morning granola with some that are freshly sliced, I never tire of inventing new ways to enjoy them. Of course, fruit and custard are a marriage made in heaven so I can’t resist layering the berries in an ovenproof baking dish and then covering them with a rich custard that sets with gentle baking. What results is one of the creamiest, most fragrant expressions of berries and cream that I know.

Great berries lead here to a highly fragrant, fruity, but not too sweet, dessert. A celebration of seasonal produce, this dessert has just enough rich custard to hold the fruit together. It’s a quickly-made ending to a spring meal that can be prepared in advance and it takes advantage of spring season strawberries at their peak, currently gracing the stalls of our local farmers’ markets. (Ask to taste before you buy, and once buying, don’t hold onto the berries for long. Refrigerating them mutes a lot of their flavor.) A hint of bay leaf in the custard lends an earthy and amazingly complex but subtle flavor to this simple dessert. I like to serve it warm so if you have made it in advance of serving, reheat by placing the custards in a water bath (the water should just come halfway up the sides of the dishes) in a preheated 350 degree F. oven just until warm, about 10 minutes. To honor the tradition of a true gratin, serve them with a caramelized layer of sugar on top.

1 pint fresh deep red and fragrant strawberries, sliced thinly

1 c. whole milk

1 c. heavy cream

2 fresh bay leaves (or 1 dried)

5 egg yolks, from large eggs

2 oz (approximately 1/3 c.) fine granulated sugar

Garnishes:

4 perfectly ripe strawberries, 1 for each serving of the dessert

4 T. crème fraiche, 1 T. per serving

A wedge of your favorite homemade shortbread or tuile (See recipe below), if desired

Granulated sugar used as a thin layer on top of each gratin before torching to brulee the tops of each

Divide the strawberries among four heat-proof 1 cup capacity ramekins and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Bring milk, cream and bay leaf to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the bay leaf to infuse the milk and cream mixture for about 10 minutes (taste frequently to confirm that the bay leaf flavor comes through nicely. Remove and discard the bay leaf and then reheat the liquid just until hot. In a heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until light and well blended. Gradually stir in the heated milk and cream mixture. Try not to aerate the mixture.

Position the oven rack halfway up from the bottom of the oven. Now pull the baking rack partway out of the oven. Place the ramekins into a roasting pan or some other 2 inch deep baking dish. Divide the sliced strawberries evenly among the four ramekins. Place the pan with the ramekins now in it onto the rack in the oven. Now pour one quarter of the liquid custard into each of the four dishes. Using a pitcher, carefully add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins, without causing the custard to overflow the ramekins, slowly move the rack back into position in the oven, and bake until just set, about 40 minutes. (Baking times will vary dependent on the capacity and size of the ramekins.) The mixture should feel somewhat firm to the touch. Do not overbake. At this point, either serve immediately with a dollop of crème fraiche spooned over each serving. Garnish, as desired with strawberries and shortbread or tuiles, if you wish.

Or, if you are planning to serve the custards later, allow them to cool and then refrigerate, covered. About 10-15 minutes before serving, place them into a hot water bath, re-warming them in a 350 degree F. oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until warm, but not hot. You can at this point sprinkle them with a thin coating of granulated sugar and torch them to brown. Then serve immediately.

For the tuile cookies:

1 ounce sweet unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 ounce (scant 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar

1 egg white from a large egg (approximately 1 ounce0

1 t. vanilla extract

1 ounce all purpose flour

In the bowl of an electric mixer outfitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth and soft. Add the sugar and mix to blend. Add the egg white and vanilla and mix again to blend, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times during mixing. Add the flour and mix until it disappears. At this point the batter can be held, covered and refrigerated, for a few hours, or even overnight.

When ready to bake these, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready to use a flat sheetpan the back of which is lined with a silicone baking mat (Silpat) or baking parchment paper sprayed lightly with pan release spray. If you have a tuile template, spread a thin layer of the batter into each cutout of the template, smoothing the batter and removing any excess. Remove the template and then bake the tuiles for approximately 8 to 10 minutes. (If you do not have a tuile template you can improvise by cutting a desired shape into a thin plastic lid of a container. Or simply spread a thin layer in a freeform shape onto the silicone baking mat and bake as above.) Remove from the oven and curve over a rolling pin or some other rounded cylindrical tool, if desired. (See photo). Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. These are best served the day they are baked. (In humid climates they will soften, losing their crisp charm).

It’s safe to say that of all the teas from all of the tea growing regions of the world, there is only one that is powdered so finely that you actually are eating the tea in the brewed beverage. And that special tea is called matcha, a highly prized traditional beverage in Japan, and increasingly available and appreciated here in the US. Thanks to a wider distribution nationwide and the popularization by some of the larger coffee vendors (Starbuck’s, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, among others, who have taken the tea in a different direction entirely and use it as a flavoring in smoothies and lattes), matcha is becoming better known outside of its homeland. But be aware that the best quality matcha doesn’t come cheap. There is kitchen grade (made from the older leaves below the top leaf and bud on the plant and used for cooking or everyday casual drinking) and the more expensive tea ceremony grade (made just from the top leaf and bud along with the tender stems on the leaf and used for a stylized service of the tea with proper accouterments and a reverence for tradition). As its name implies, kitchen grade is suitable for cooking so look for it when stocking your pantry. (Matchasource.com is a great website for all things matcha).

Beyond the china cup, matcha also works well in savory dishes such as broths or in sweet applications such as sponge cakes, mousses, ice creams and custards. (Check out my posts at tching.com for more ideas and recipes).