Rhubarby Sweetness

Hi Guys. It's been challenging to sneak away from life and blog. I'm sorry I've neglected this space, because I love it. It's my very own space with no work, no teething baby, no bills or other stuff that clogs up my brain and drives me to consider anxiety medication. As Virginia Woolf said, every woman needs a room of her own, even if it's a virtual room.
Anyway.
Let's talk about rhubarb now.

Behold the humble rhubarb!

Rhubarb grows like weeds around here, and it's usually plentiful at the farmer's market. I don't remember ever seeing it in California. I'm not sure if it doesn't grow down there, or if I just never noticed it. I'm certainly more interested in and aware of local foods now then I was ten years ago.
Regardless, I bought some rhubarb a few weeks ago, and later that afternoon I strolled around our lot and discovered a huge thatch of it. Oh well.

Strawberry and baby.

This is a terrible picture but I swear this is delicious

Strawberry Rhubarb Bread Pudding

Adapted from Bon Appetite

ingredient

3 cups 1/2-inch-wide pieces fresh rhubarb (cut from about 1 pound)

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1-pint container fresh strawberries, hulled, halved
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 
  
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• Butter (for dish)
• 8 (or more) 1/2-inch-thick slices brioche or egg bread (each about 5 x 4 inches), cut lengthwise in half

• Make Compote

Combine rhubarb, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Simmer gently until rhubarb is tender but not falling apart, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in strawberries. Transfer to bowl and stir in mint.


Make Pudding

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk sugar and eggs in medium bowl. Place milk and cream in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Gradually add hot cream mixture to egg mixture, whisking custard to blend.

Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch oval baking dish. Arrange enough bread slices in dish to cover bottom (some spaces will remain between slices). Spoon half of rhubarb evenly over. Repeat with bread and rhubarb. Pour custard over. Place baking dish in roasting pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of dish.

Bake pudding until just set in center, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand in water bath 30 minutes; remove.