Salty Dog's Blog

Summer Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Sugar

I don't think I could ever grow tired of good blueberry muffins. Simple in concept and creation, the blueberry muffin best captures the happy mélange of tart and sweet - fresh fruit bursts in between bites of moist, satisfyingly dense cake. Pair with a cup of rich French press coffee and the flavor balance could not be more complete.

This weekend I was in downtown Philadelphia at a local market and found a pound of berries for an irresistible bargain. These were ideal - small in size, sweet in the middle with crisp skins that added the perfect amount of tang. Blueberries are in their peak this time of year. Seek firm berries that are not too large.

It had been a while since I had whipped up a batch of muffins - I forgot how simple they really are. Ideal for a quick breakfast or afternoon coffee break, these muffins also freeze well, but you'll most likely have no problem polishing off the whole batch! 

The recipe below features didi davis food Lemon Sugar. I love the way this sugar gently melts atop the muffin as baking occurs; the result is a gratifying muffin with a crisp, sweet top, followed by the subtle yet complex tartness of hand zested lemon.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS 

by Chef Didi Davis

Makes 12 muffins

2 cups flour
¾ cup sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
¾ cup milk or half and half
2 eggs
1-2 tsp vanilla
1 stick butter, melted
2 cups fresh blueberries
didi davis food Lemon Sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together in a bowl, making a well in the center. In a second bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla. Add melted butter to this mixture, stirring quickly. Pour into the well of dry ingredients and stir together with a spoon, adding the blueberries.

Pour batter into greased muffin pan. Sprinkle muffin tops liberally with didi davis food Lemon Sugar. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Mulberries by the Bowlful

 
My mother came for an impromptu visit last weekend - it was a wonderful time spent with her - a great combination of cooking together, eating well, relaxing, and most importantly catching up. I have a truly wonderful mother, and I feel quite blessed.

One of our happy discoveries was finding a massive mulberry tree, simply bursting with ripe fruit. Within minutes, our hands were stained dark purple, and our bowls were quickly filling with berries.

There's something great about harvesting your own fruit - I realize this revelation is nothing new or unique, in fact, our nation seems to be buzzing with the push towards local, home grown food. Yet I, like so many others, enjoyed the process. (For me, I know this romance comes from reading Little House on the Prairie as a young girl. I'm sure it would quickly pass if I had to harvest my food on a daily basis!)

 
The berries were perfectly ripe - a smooth, full sweetness.  If you've not had a mulberry - they are delicious. One might compare them to a blackberry, yet they are much sweeter and don't have the same tangy quality. They are firmer than blackberries in texture. Very tasty.

I decided to make a mulberry pie (pies and tarts are my most favorite desserts). The most troublesome part, however, is what to do with those stubborn stems. They are tightly connected to the mulberry, and require snipping them off individually with scissors, as my attempt to pull them by hand resulted in a prompt squashing of the berry. After some research as to whether or not to leave the stems on or snip them off, opinions seemed to be equally divided. I felt my time could be spent on more enjoyable tasks, so I took the lazy route and decided to bake with abandon and leave the stems on.

The pie was delicious - a rich, berry flavor just perfectly sweetened - my crust crisp and flaky. Yet the stems were unfortunately a bit noticable, in texture and appearance. They made a beautiful pie a bit too wild and rustic. Thus, I think my vote is to take the time to snip them off, especially if you were serving the pie to guests.

I am thinking jam might be next on the mulberry agenda. Other suggestions or recipes are certainly welcome!

A Special Birthday Dinner

Just over a month ago I prepared for my husband a very special birthday dinner. I wanted to pull out all the stops and prepare for him something unique, elegant, and above all wildly delicious. His birthday only comes once a year, after all! 

I don't know about all of you, but in our home we rarely have a full menu - each course thoughtfully prepared as to how it will interact with the course preceding and following it. As you know, I am no chef, but I do have a love for delicious food, and I've acquired a reasonable knack for preparing it well.

MENU

Seared Sea Scallops with a Lemon Butter Sauce
Blood Orange Salad with Arugula, Figs, Parmesan & Almonds
Beef Wellington with Steamed Asparagus
Bourbon Tiramisu

We don't eat a lot of red meat these days - for one, it is the cost.  Good quality meat can be quite expensive, and the cheap stuff is often not worth eating. Secondly, my husband and I have talked extensively about how our culture (compared with others) often consumes too much meat, which is unsustainable and promotes unhealthy farming techniques to keep up with the demand. The challenge to eat more vegetables has been surprisingly fun, and we've found that we honestly don't miss meat in most meals as long as they are filled with hearty ingredients (lentils are our best friend).  All of that being said, this birthday dinner was a night to spare no expense and buy some of the finest, most beautiful meat I could find!

Being relatively new to the area, I hunted around and found a small local market and butchery called the Main Street Market. The butcher was absolutely wonderful - taking great care to prepare the fillet mignon cuts I had ordered.  Everyone at the market knew about my order and seemed as excited as I was! I received some great cooking tips from one of the other meat vendors, and all they wished me great success with my birthday feast.

The meat was perfectly prepared - luscious, thick cuts of the lean beef tenderloin, wrapped tightly in brown butcher's paper. I was salivating to eat them, and they hadn't even been cooked yet!

My brother and his wife had given us a bottle of Veuve Cliquot champagne, which we had been saving for a worthy occasion. This birthday certainly qualified, and the champagne, being Veuve Cliquot, did not disapoint. Instead of saving it for dessert, I decided it was far better paired with dinner. It complemented perfectly the pan seared scallops, and Blood Orange Arugula Salad.



I must tell you a bit about this salad.  It is adapted from a recipe in Sunday Suppers at Lucques, by Suzanne Goin. The best meal that my husband and I have ever had was at Lucques - a small, romantic restaurant in Los Angeles. Suzanne Goin is a master of her craft, having worked for the highly esteemed Alice Waters at Chez Panisse. Her cookbook is a work of art. Suzanne Goin writes at the beginning of this recipe, "Once you've gathered your perfect components, the only difficult part is arranging them on the plate. Thoughtfully weave the ingredients together, layering them into "hills and valleys," rather than piling them into a "mountain." Think of this as a tapestry, rather than a tossed salad." You can imagine the care that goes into each of her recipes and dishes.

I used a beautiful olive oil from Spain called Merula. It was rich and buttery and absolutely made the salad. If you do not have a good olive oil - please, pick one up for dishes such as this! The difference is worth it. I recomend our Nunez or Marques de Valdueza.

The Beef Wellington was delicious - the pastry was flaky, and the meat, tender. Between the meat and pastry is duxelle - a puree of mushrooms, butter and herbs. I wish I had taken the Beef Wellington out of the oven a few minutes earlier, as it would have been better if it was more rare. Despite that, the entree was thoroughly satisfying - comforting, rich and buttery.

The evening was finished off by homemade Tiramisu.  Instead of using rum, I decided to try with bourbon, and it was spectacular. The flavors were perfectly balanced, and it was a wonderful finish to the meal. It was delightful to eat dinner in courses, taking the time to truly savor the nuances of each plate and the labor and love that went into preparing them. I think my husband had a wonderful time, and a fabulous birthday!

Chef Didi Davis: My Father's Chocolate Sauce

Just in time for Father's Day, Chef Didi Davis joins us on the Salty Dog Blog writing about her father's recipe for chewy, gooey and utterly wonderful chocolate sauce. Yum!

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It’s been raining here for two months.  Well, not really, but today has been frustratingly cool and annoyingly sun-free.  Blanket weather.  My dogs timidly step out, and forego sniff time.  That isn’t normal.  Maybe it is because they are getting older, but still….

I’m feeling the need for ice cream.  Yes, that’s the remedy.  I’ll make chocolate sauce; my father’s rich and chewy, sticky, gooey style. It’s a good day to be indoors.

My father threw all the ingredients into a pot.  It took him 30 seconds.  No “make a paste with cocoa and cold milk and gradually whisk in the remaining milk” for him.  It all came together and it was always sublime.  He had a key secret ingredient that he must have seen his mother sneak in at some point.  (Not that she was a great cook, but she knew her sweets as she was a product of the Fanny Farmer era, which remarkably lasted well into the sixties.)  Or perhaps it was an upcountry thing.  I’m not sure, but make sure you have molasses in the cupboard.  Yes, he added it in the final moments with vanilla.  Use brown sugar if you like, or use his trick.  He always plopped in a sizeable chunk of butter, too.  Just to round out the edges.

So, here’s the recipe. Grab a pot and throw in:

1 cup sugar

½ cup cocoa

½ cup milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

A pinch of sea salt (a fine grain everyday type such as Sel Gris, Himalayan)

Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking.  Once boiling, lower the heat and boil gently for 5 or 6 minutes.  If you want it thicker and stickier, cook a bit longer.  Remove from the heat and add:

1 teaspoon molasses

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Now, if you want to get fancy, you can substitute a sugar blend for the sugar.  We have six flavors to choose from.

To serve, simply drizzle on some sauce atop vanilla ice cream. For a great twist, sprinkle just a few granules of Danish Viking Smoked Salt for a sweet, salty, smoky treat!

If you have any questions or need a tiny bit more guidance on the recipe, send a comment.

Classic Caramel Sauce

CARAMEL SAUCE
From A Fresh Look at Saucing Foods by Chef Didi Davis

Caramel is simple to make, but don't stray too far from the saucepan because sugar can quickly turn from deep brown to black and burned. Caramel is ready when it is caramel colored. I prefer a caramel that is a dark reddish brown, not one that is pale and golden, whether it is destined for praline, candy, or sauces. The darker the color, the more bitter the taste. Yet, without some bitterness, caramel will taste too bland and lack its special character. A deeply colored caramel has a complex, bittersweet flavor as well as a gorgeous sheen.  The liquid used may be cream, juice of any kind, cider, water, or a mixture of liquids.

Makes 1 to 1 1/2 cups
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
Few drops lemon juice
2/3 to 1 cup liquid

Place the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a heavy, nonaluminum saucepan. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Boil until the mixture turns a deep, reddish brown, between 5 and 10 minutes. Do not stir the mixture while it is cooking, but you may swirl it in the pan. The caramel will be thick. Remove the pan from the heat and let the caramel cool for a minute, swirling the pan. Place a strainer over the pan and pour in whatever liquid you have chosen. (The strainer will help prevent spattering). Once the caramel has stopped bubbling, stir it to dissolve and incorporate the liquid. If the caramel does not dissolve completely, return the pan to the heat and stir constantly until it is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the caramel sauce to cool to room temperature. Transfer it to a pitcher, cover, and keep at room temperature until you are ready to serve it. The sauce can be refridgerated overnight for 3 to 4 days. Before serving, heat it slowly over a pan of warm water.

Making Madeleine: A Classic French Sweet

Savoring a madeleine with a cup of strong coffee has always been a favorite treat of mine.  As they do for most of us, madeleines instantly conjure up memories of French markets, artful daily living, and the truly marvelous experience of a French cafe and patisserie.

I love France, and I love food, and I am extremely happy the two are often synonymous. Reliving my memories and time spent in France is such a joy for me, as I view that country and time in my life with such fondness. Yet even for those who haven't yet had a chance to explore France, the mysteries and nuances of French tastes can still be experienced and explored.

Which brings us back to the madeleine! These beautiful cakes get their distinctive shape from the pan in which they are baked - a metal baking pan with a unique shell depression.  Madeleines are typically found in either two forms: a pound cake variety, or a sponge-cake variety. (My father loves to classify anything of this sort as a "Cookie Cake," which is honestly a very good description for a  Madeleine). Madeleines can be made in a variety of flavors - most typically either lemon or almond. These lovely cakes are the perfect companion for tea and coffee. Enjoy them for breakfast, afternoon tea, or dessert.

Madeleines are simple and easy to make. I have included for you below a recipe made with poundcake adapted from Madeleine Kamman's book, "The Making of a Cook." She writes of pound cake, "Poundcakes owe their name to their composition, which is always 1 pound each of flour, sugar, eggs and butter.  In French, they are called quartre-quarts, or "four-quarters," for 1/4 pound of each main ingredient."  Since many of us do not own scales to weigh ingredients, the recipe below is written in measurements for your convenience.

Start with the classic plain or lemon madeleine, or create your own unique flavors using any of didi davis food's innovative, hand-crafted Sugar Blends. 

LEMON MADELEINE

2 cups sifted flour

1 1/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

didi davis food Lemon Sugar

3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Cream the butter and add sugar. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Blend in dry ingredients. Fold in beaten egg whites and lemon juice. 

Butter the madeleine pan, sprinkling the insides of each shell depression generously with didi davis food Lemon Sugar. Drop batter into each sugared and buttered shell, filling it to only about 3/4 full.

Bake at 325 degrees until done, before any slight browning begins. Delicieux!

Recipe Ideas for Using your Garden Vegetables

SUMMER HARVEST

It is that wonderful time of year when produce is in abundance! Corn is ripe, zucchini are the size of baseball bats, and tomatoes are turning a vibrant red. If you have your own garden, or even a good friend who does, you are likely on the verge of running out of ideas for using your garden goodies!  Let us here at Salt Traders and didi davis artisan food give you some fresh ideas to help you make the most of these summer gems.

SEVEN SUMMER HARVEST RECIPES

Each of these seven recipes gives you a simple and delicious way to use an everyday ingredient from your garden.

1. BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
from Chef Didi Davis

Makes 12 muffins

2 cups flour
¾ cup sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
¾ cup milk or half and half
2 eggs
1-2 tsp vanilla
1 stick butter, melted
2 cups blueberries
didi davis food Lemon Sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together in a bowl, making a well in the center. In a second bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla.  Add melted butter to this mixture, stirring quickly. Pour into the well of dry ingredients and stir together with a spoon, adding the blueberries.

Pour batter into greased muffin pan. Sprinkle muffin tops liberally with didi davis food Lemon Sugar. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

2. CREAMED CORN
from Side Dishes: Creative and Simple by Chef Didi Davis
 
Serves 4
 
This old-fashioned gem is simple to make and far superior in taste and texture to anything packaged. The corn is scraped from the cob, producing lots of sweet milk. To make the dish even more luxuriant, the kernels are cooked with heavy cream. Enjoy with roast chicken and ripe tomato slices.
 
4 large ears sweet corn, husks and silks removed
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried (optional)
Fine Sicilian Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
 
Using a sharp knife, make closely spaced parallel slits down each row of kernels, slicing through the center of each kernel. Using the back of a knife, scrape the corn into a bowl to remove all the kernels and milk. You should end up with 2 to 3 cups corn and milk.
 
Transfer to a medium saucepan and add the cream and sage, if using. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium and cook until thick and creamy, 20 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as needed, and serve in small bowls.

Variations:
-  Add an equal amount of diced or shredded yellow summer squash sautéed in butter and seasoned with salt and pepper.
-    To turn this dish into a sauce, add minced garlic and parsley to the finished corn. Spoon it over marinated and grilled boneless chicken breasts.

3. RATATOUILLE
From Side Dishes: Creative and Simple by Chef Didi Davis

Serves 6 to 8

Ratatouille is a light Provencal medley of eggplant, onions, sweet peppers, zucchini and tomatoes. Enjoy with scrambled eggs or omelettes for breakfast or brunch, or for dinner with grilled or roasted meats, poultry or seafood.

1/2 cup olive oil
1 pound eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
Freshly ground pepper
1 pound onions (about 3 medium), sliced 1/4-1/2 inch thick
1/2 pound sweet peppers, red, orange or yellow, cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 pound tomatoes (about 3 medium), cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bay leaf
1-2 tablespoons didi davis food Fennel Thyme Salt

Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large nonreactive skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the eggplant, season with pepper and cook for 7 minutes, or until softened, tossing often. Remove to a bowl.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the remaining 1/4 cup oil to the skillet. Add the onions, sprinkle with pepper, stir, cover and saute for about 20 minutes, uncovering to stir often, until the onions are soft with very little color. Uncover and add the peppers and garlic.

Sprinkle with pepper, stir, cover and cook for 10 minutes more, uncovering occasionally to stir. Add the zucchini, season with pepper, stir, cover and cook another 5 minutes, stirring often. Uncover the skillet and add the tomatoes, bay leaf and Fennel Thyme Salt to taste and reserved eggplant. Stew for 1 hour, with the cover askew, stirring often.

When done, remove bayleaf, and transfer the ratatouille to a bowl. May be served hot, at room temperature or chilled.

4. APPLE-CIDER CUCUMBER SALAD
from Chef Didi Davis
 
This delightful side salad is easy and refreshing.
 
Cucumbers, chilled
Apple Cider Vinegar
didi davis food Mojito Sugar
Fine Sicilian Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
 
Slice the cucumbers and arrange them in a dish with sides. Pour apple cider vinegar liberally over cucumbers. Sprinkle with Mojito Sugar, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Serve chilled.

5. GARLIC TOAST

Garlic
Rustic bread
Tomatoes
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
White Cyprus Sea Salt
Freshly ground pepper (optional)

Peel and cut in half one or two cloves garlic. Toast slices of rustic country bread. Rub the cut side of the garlic on the toast. Cut a ripe room-temperature tomato in half crosswise.  Gently squeeze out the extra seeds with some juice.  Rub the cut tomato over the toast after the garlic. 

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil (try the Tuscan, Sicilian, or Spanish).
 
Scatter with a pinch of White Cyprus sea salt. Scatter with ground pepper, if desired (try Lampung or Comet's Tail).

6. WARM GOAT CHEESE SALAD WITH BALSAMIC-MUSTARD DRESSING
 
When I lived in the South of France, my most favorite activity was going to market on a daily basis. I never got tired of looking at the beautiful vegetables and cheeses!  Among many other things, I developed a strong love for goat cheese, and this salad quickly became a favorite lunch.

This delightful salad is easy to prepare, and is sure to wow your taste buds!  Experience a variety of summer flavors that gradually transition from the tang of the balsamic dressing into the smooth and velvety flavor of the warm goat cheese.
 
Balsamic-Mustard Dressing (recipe below)
Lettuce
Radishes
Goat Cheese
1 egg, beaten
Breadcrumbs
1 T. Olive Oil
Pepper
 
Begin by making the Balsamic Mustard Dressing (see recipe below). Set aside.
 
Wash lettuce and arrange on serving platter. Slice radishes paper thin and arrange atop lettuce.
 
Prepare goat cheese medallions by slicing goat cheese log into ½ inch slices. Brush medallions completely with egg, and roll in bread crumbs until covered.
 
In a skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add goat cheese medallions and cook until bread crumbs crisp and brown, and the cheese begins to soften.
 
Add cheese medallions to salad. Drizzle with balsamic-mustard dressing, sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and serve immediately.
 
 Balsamic-Mustard Dressing
from Chef Didi Davis

Makes about 1 ½ cups
 
½ cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons plain Dijon mustard, or more to taste
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon Fine Sicilian Sea Salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup olive oil or other vegetable oil
 
Place the vinegar, mustard, garlic, brown sugar, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.  Whisk until smooth.  Pour in the oil in a stream and whisk to emulsify.  Taste for seasoning and serve over salad or transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use.

7. PEACHES WITH BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE
from A Fresh Look at Saucing Foods by Chef Didi Davis

Makes about 1 ¼ cups
 
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup heavy cream
Fresh peaches
Fleur de Sel Sea Salt, to taste

Melt the butter in a heavy, medium-size sauce-pan. Add the lemon juice and water and mix. Add the sugar and stir until it is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, and boil it gently for 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for a couple of minutes until the syrup has stopped boiling. Whisk in the cream until the mixture is smooth and pour the sauce into a bowl or pitcher. Butterscotch sauce may be served warm or at room temperature.

Remove pits from peaches and slice. Place in bowls for serving. Pour sauce over fruit and sprinkle lightly with Fleur de Sel. Enjoy!

Variation:
Delicious and refreshing over nectarines, pineapple or vanilla ice cream!

 

A Perfect Match: Spiced Gold Sugar & Strawberries

Strawberries are well into their season and are ready for eating! Nothing compliments this delightful fruit better than Didi Davis Food's Spiced Gold Sugar. The large, dark, unrefined crystals add a rich crunch followed by the perfect blend of high-quality spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and all-spice.

One of our favorite snacks is to simply dip the strawberries first into yogurt or sour cream, and then sprinkle with the Spiced Gold sugar. Refreshing, light, and still healthy.

Another easy favorite is to use it to top a homemade Strawberry Shortcake. Simply make a basic biscuit; cut it in half and cover with sliced strawberries; beat whipping cream with a whisk or mixer until stiff and spoon over strawberries and biscuit; finally, sprinkle liberally with the Spiced Gold Sugar! So good, and yet so easy!

Rhubarb: So Much More than a Pie Plant

Rhubarb is an interesting vegetable. Many people don't know what to do with it, except make Strawberry-Rhubarb pie - which is certainly a most honorable use.  However, many may not realize that rhubarb can be used for a variety of dishes - savory as well as sweet.

These recipes will hopefully provide some new and creative uses to help you use rhubarb, and maybe even spark a  new appreciation for this plant's wonderfully tangy flavor and beautiful red color!

Caramel-Rhubarb Chutney
Serves 8 or more
by Chef Didi Davis - From Side Dishes: Creative and Simple

This chutney, a complex union of snappy rhubarb, oranges and raisins, follows the basic formula of cooking all the ingredients together for an hour, but it has the unusual twist of substituting caramel syrup for white sugar.

This chutney improves enormously with an overnight stay in the refrigerator. Serve with broiled swordfish steaks or salmon, shellfish, chicken, lamb, spicy dishes such as curry or Chinese food, and on crackers with Cheddar cheese.

1¼ cups sugar
¼ cup water
Few drops fresh lemon juice
½ cup apple cider vinegar
2 medium oranges, peeled
2 pounds rhubarb, washed, trimmed and cut into ½-inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
¼ cup (packed) golden raisins
½ teaspoon Fine Sicilian Sea Salt, or any other high quality sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
Pinch of cayenne pepper, or more as desired

Place 1 cup of the sugar in a small nonreactive saucepan with the water and lemon juice. Heat over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Do not stir or the syrup may crystallize. Boil until the syrup has turned an auburn color, 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the vinegar; be careful–the caramel will splatter. Cook over medium heat, whisking to dissolve the caramel, then transfer to a medium nonreactive pan and set aside.

Cut the oranges into ½-inch chunks and add them, with their juice, to the caramel. Add the rhubarb, onion, raisins, Sicilian Sea Salt, cinnamon (if desired), cayenne and remaining ¼ cup sugar. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer briskly for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until thickened, stirring often, so the mixture does not burn.

Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. The chutney will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Variations:
- Substitute dried strawberries or cherries for the golden raisins.
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger.
- Add 1 teaspoon or more mustard seeds.

 
Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote
Serves 4
by Chef Didi Davis, from A Fresh Look at Saucing Foods

In this unusual spring dish, red wine complements the poached rhubarb and fresh strawberries. The sauce is made by reducing the poaching liquid to a syrup, which intensifies the flavors of the spices. This sauce keeps for several days in the refrigerator.

½ cup heavy cream
1 cup Didi Davis Food Lemon or Orange Ginger Sugar (or any other natural sugar)
1 cup red wine
2 strips lemon zest, measuring 3 inches long by 1 inch wide
½ teaspoon allspice berries
¼ teaspoon Australian Mountain Peppercorns
1 pound rhubarb
1 pint strawberries

Beat the cream until soft peaks begin to form. Keep the whipped cream refrigerated until you are ready to serve.

Combine the sugar, wine, zest, allspice, and Australian Mountain Peppercorns in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 3 minutes.

While the syrup cooks, trim the rhubarb and cut it on the bias into pieces about ½ inch wide and 2 inches long. Poach the rhubarb in syrup in 2 batches for between 3 to 5 minutes each until it is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, but not falling apart. With a slotted spoon, remove the rhubarb to a plate. Return the lemon zest and spices to the pan if they were removed with the rhubarb. When all the rhubarb is cooked, raise the heat to high and reduce the syrup to ½ cup. Strain it and set it aside at room temperature.

Hull the strawberries and cut them in half lengthwise.

Just before serving, heat the syrup gently until it is just warm. Arrange the strawberries around the edges of 4 plates. Place a portion of rhubarb in the middle of the plate and drizzle the strawberries and rhubarb with the warm syrup. Beat the whipped cream briefly to homogenize it and spoon it over the fruit.

Variation:
- For a low-fat topping, serve the compote with a dollop of yogurt instead of cream.
- The Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote may be served over cakes, steamed puddings, French toast, pancakes or waffles. Leftover syrup may be mixed with sparkling water.

Rhubarb Punch
from family friends, the Piersons

This delightfully refreshing beverage reminds me of summer days when I was young. Rhubarb grew in plenty from our garden, and my mother would  make this punch on special occasions. With its perfect combination of tart and sweet, this punch is a lovely treat for any spring or summer day.

5 cups rhubarb, rinsed and chopped
5 cups water
1 cup honey
½ cup orange juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
Didi Davis Food Orange Ginger or Lemon Sugar
Ginger ale

Combine rhubarb, water, and 2/3 cups honey in a saucepan; cook until fruit is soft. Pour through a cheesecloth, collecting strained juice in a bowl.

Again in the saucepan, combine the strained juice with remaining 1/3 cup of honey. Boil together for 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool, and add ½ cup orange juice and 1/3 cup of lemon juice. Chill in the refrigerator.

When serving, rim each glass with Didi Davis Food Orange Ginger or Lemon Sugar. Then mix punch with ginger ale to taste. I prefer equal proportions of juice to ginger ale. Enjoy!

Ben's Special Rhubarb Sauce: Rhubarb is so delicious, we hate to waste any part of it! The leftover rhubarb can be mashed and mixed with sugar - a great substitute for traditional apple sauce. It's delightful served either warm or chilled.

 
Stewed Rhubarb with Tarragon
Serves 4 to 6
by Chef Didi Davis - From Side Dishes: Creative and Simple

Stewed rhubarb is such a favorite in our house that it marks the beginning of the season just as corn and the first fall apples signal theirs. This dish has a savory element; the addition of tarragon is a pleasing departure from more usual versions. Serve with ham, duck, pork, sausages, rich fish such as bluefish or salmon, or Chinese food.

1½ pounds rhubarb, rinsed and trimmed
½ cup Didi Davis Food Lemon Sugar or any other natural sugar
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried
Grated Pink Himalayan Sea Salt Rocks or any other high quality sea salt
Lemon wedges (optional)

Cut the rhubarb into ½-inch slices and place in a medium nonreactive saucepan with the sugar, water, tarragon and a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil, stirring, over medium-high heat. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 to 1- minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and tender.

Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Serve at room temperature or chill. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

Variations:
- Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon with the tarragon.
- Replace the tarragon with thyme or chives.