Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait
‘Tis the season for rhubarb and strawberries! Since their peak seasons are in sync, they are often linked together in spring recipes. Also, they just complement one another so well. Rhubarb and strawberries both have sweet and tart tastes, depending on how you use them in recipes.
Rhubarb is a bit of a mystery for some people. This is most likely because rhubarb is generally considered a vegetable, though primarily used in desserts. In our area, rhubarb is at it’s peak around mid-to late May. Sometimes a late planting will result in a crop in early fall. The most common use of rhubarb is for pies and other desserts, but rhubarb is also great pickled, or in savory dishes. I even found a recipe for strawberry flavored dehydrated rhubarb stalks - yum! To make things even better, rhubarb is a great source of dietary fiber and Vitamins K and C. Just a few healthy reasons to grab some of the beautiful, red stalks the next time you see them at the market! (They are available at Twin Springs Fruit Farm, located at all three Central Farm Markets).
And now a little bit about one of those market items that everyone goes crazy for: strawberries! This past weekend, Westmoreland Berry Farm brought their first batch of bright, juicy strawberries to the markets, which sold out extremely fast.
For this week’s recipe, I wanted to do something different for the crumble. I could have used oats, butter and sugar, or even chopped nuts...but I thought it would be creative to use as many market ingredients as possible. While walking by the Simply Delicious Desserts tent, I noticed their wonderful array of flavorful scones. Then it hit me - I’ll crumble and toast the scone crumbs for the parfait! I decided on a wonderful Crystal Ginger Scone because I’m a huge fan of ginger in fruity desserts. Simply Delicious always has a great selection of scones as well as pies, cakes, breads and other dessert items to choose from! (Simply Delicious Desserts is located at Pike and Bethesda Central Markets. If you shop at Mosaic check out Giradot’s Crumbs Bakery for delicious scones as well.)I included basil in this recipe because I love the flavor when mixed with strawberries. Adding fresh basil to the scone crumbles gives this dish a delicious, crisp spring feeling that is beyond compare.
Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait
- 1 bunch Rhubarb, 1 inch diced (Twin Springs Fruit Farm)
- 2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and halved (Westmoreland Berry Farm)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- Zest and Juice of 1 Orange
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 bunch fresh basil (Twin Springs Fruit Farm)
- 1 container Yogurt, your choice of flavor - I used plain (Blue Ridge Dairy Co.)
- 4 Scones, your choice of flavor - I used Crystal Ginger (Simply Delicious Bakery)
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Crumble scones onto a baking sheet, spreading out as much as possible.
- Bake crumbs for 20-23 minutes, depending on your desired amount of doneness. Make sure to stir the crumbs every few minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Combine rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and orange zest in a bowl. Mix corn starch and orange juice, making sure there are no lumps. Add to rhubarb. Toss to combine all ingredients.
- Place mixture in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Place in oven and bake until fruit is bubbling and the liquid starts to reduce, 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature (or put refrigerator).
- Chop up 4 leaves of basil and toss it with the scone crumbles.
- Using whatever serving method you’d like (I just used a drinking glass!), layer the yogurt, rhubarb/strawberry compote, and scone crumbles.
- Serve as soon as possible. Enjoy!
