Strawberry rhubarb pie

As I was flipping through my photos, it struck me that this pie is a bit like Vancouver right now [well, Vancouver two days ago when I started writing this post]: seasonally confused.

On one hand, we have rhubarb and strawberries, a pink partnership that screams! summer! and begs for an à la mode chill. But dig a little deeper and you'll find your taste buds heading in a completely different direction—namely Christmas—with wintry flavours like cinnamon, cloves and allspice.

One minute you're envisioning a glass of raspberry lemonade on your imaginary porch, the next you'd be down with a fireside hot toddy.

Cognitive dissonance at its most delicious.






Exhibit A:


Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Your favourite pastry, enough for top and bottom

Filling:
600 grams rhubarb, sliced 1.5 centimetres thick (about 4 cups)
500 grams strawberries, hulled and sliced 1.5 centimetres thick (about 2-1/2 cups)
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup plus 1-1/2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

Egg wash:
1 egg
1 teaspoon water
Coarse sugar (optional)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, gently toss the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, tapioca, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and salt. Set the mixture aside while you roll out the pastry.

Once you've lined your pie plate with pastry and rolled out the top, prepare your egg wash by whisking together the egg and water. Now let's put this pie together.

Spoon the filling into the pie shell. Avoid the heartbreak that is soupy pie by leaving that juice that's puddled at the bottom of the bowl behind. Don't think too hard about it or you'll make a bad decision (see exhibit A).

Now dot the top of the filling with cold butter, brush the rim with egg wash and cover it all with another layer of pastry. Seal and finish the edges of the pie as you like.

Mark the top with SR, brush with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Place the pie plate on a cookie sheet and bake for 70-80 minutes until golden brown.

Sources: The filling is a metric adaptation of Fine Cooking's Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie. The pastry is Pim's perfect pie dough.

Chocolate raspberry pavlova

There are any number of reasons to be enamoured with pavlova. Perhaps you like the crunch of the meringue or how it melts on your tongue.



Maybe you're a sucker for the lightly sweetened clouds of whipped cream or the burst of fresh fruit.



What makes pavlova particularly spectacular to me is how the parts come together. Think about whipped cream for a second. There's nothing earth-shattering about a forkful on its own, but spear a berry and a splinter of meringue at the same time and you just may feel the ground give way.



Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova

Meringue:
6 egg whites
300 grams caster (berry) sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
50 grams dark chocolate, finely chopped

Topping:
500 mL whipping cream
500 grams raspberries
2-3 tablespoons grated dark chocolate

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until satiny peaks form.

Beat in the sugar, one spoonful at a time, until the meringue is stiff and shiny.

Using a spatula, gently fold in the cocoa, vinegar and chopped chocolate.

Mound the meringue onto the baking sheet in a fat circle (about 23 centimetres, or 9 inches, in diameter) or 10 smaller circles. Smooth the sides and top(s), as needed.

Place in the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook for 1-1/4 hours (for a single large meringue) or 3/4-1 hour (for 10 small meringues).

In the words of Nigella, "When it's ready it should look crisp around the edges and on the sides and be dry on top, but when you prod the centre you should feel the promise of squidginess beneath your fingers."

Turn off the oven and leave the oven door slightly ajar until the meringue cools completely.

Top with softly whipped cream (I flavoured mine with a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and sweetened it with 1 teaspoon of icing sugar), fresh raspberries and dark chocolate shavings.

Serves 10.

Source: Nigella Lawson's Forever Summer.

Strawberry tonic

This past Sunday, I hosted a little book swap for a gaggle of girls—a mix of real life friends and online acquaintances looking to trade in their discards for new summer reads. One (wo)man's trash, another (wo)man's treasure, and all that.

Snacking on coffee cake and raspberry chocolate tarts, we clinked glasses of strawberry tonic to a summer of reading.



Strawberry Tonic
Less a recipe, than an idea.

Blend a cup or so of strawberries with a splash of orange juice and sugar to taste. You'll end up with a thick, frothy sauce that screams summer.

Stop here, and you have a delicious syrup substitute for your banana pancakes.

Now toss a few ice cubes in a glass, add a scoop of berry puree and top with tonic water for a refreshing strawberry tonic.

Why stop there. Take your strawberry tonic from afternoon refreshment to evening apéritif with a splash of gin.



Source: Inspired by Annie's Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade, which I do hope to try.