June was a busy month for Mother Nature. It’s peak egg-laying time for many birds, frogs and turtles; Lady Slippers blooming in the woods and bogs; and strawberries and rhubarb nearly ready for picking. By the end of July, the spring and summer dawn chorus of birdsong will be quieter with fledglings out of the nest and no need to defend territory. Rhubarb season is also almost over, but there is still time to gather up those lovely green and red stalks.
When my husband was a boy, he didn’t have to look at the calendar to know summer vacation was coming. He’d know the day Grandma Eva started serving rhubarb-strawberry stew over rice pudding or vanilla custard for dessert. To this day the first strawberry-rhubarb pie I bake transports him back to his grandmother’s kitchen.
Rhubarb is classified as a vegetable, but it’s enjoyed as a fruit. It goes wonderfully well with apples, citrus fruits and berries—strawberries in particular. That’s why strawberries are included in many rhubarb recipes, adding lip-smacking sweetness and cutting rhubarb’s acidic edge without extra sugar.
While I don’t have Grandma Eva’s exact recipe, I’ve made variations on this dish many times, enjoying it warm or cold over ice cream or cake.
Rhubarb Stewed with Strawberries, Ginger and Vanilla
Makes about 3 cups
6 cups sliced trimmed rhubarb (about 3 pounds)
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup packed light brown sugar (If you like it sweeter, use up to 2 cups.)
½ cup water
1½ Tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
Directions
Place rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, water, ginger and vanilla in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the rhubarb is nearly a puree, about 30 minutes.
If using a vanilla bean, remove it and scrape the seeds into the rhubarb mixture. Serve warm or cold.