Music and Cats

There was no rhubarb in my photo of the weekend’s farmers’ market haul only because we still had rhubarb from last week’s market. We’ve had rhubarb around — either cooked or waiting patiently in the crisper — for about the past month, since I spotted the first pale pink stalks at the farmers’ market. Rhubarb is the first “fruit” of the season around here, and after months of apples and pears and non-local citrus, I’m like a kid in a candy shop when the first rhubarb arrives.

If you look in the background of yesterday’s photo, you’ll see a cake pan (on the left hand side, behind the bamboo shoots), in which were the remains of Mollie Katzen’s Buttermilk-Rhubarb Coffee Cake. While it was lovely, with bits of tart rhubarb suspended in a moist, not-too-sweet cake, it was not the best thing that I’ve made with rhubarb this year. That honor goes to dead simple, and utterly addictive, stewed rhubarb.

Rhubarb Compote
after Shauna’s recipe from Molly

1 1/4 pound rhubarb, thinly sliced
3/4 cup sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb softens and melts into the syrup, 20-25 minutes. Serve warm, lukewarm or chilled.

You could eat it all on its own (as I sometimes do, straight out of the jar in the refrigerator.) Of, if you have some thick, creamy Greek yogurt, stir the rhubarb compote into that. (It’s a perfect breakfast.) Now, if you happen to have a wedge of homemade pound cake just sitting around, you could toast a slice (the crispy browned edges are amazing!), slather it with warm rhubarb compote and top with a dollop of yogurt. Mmmmm…

When I read James Villas’ article about pound cake in Saveur, I had to try it. While the recipe is a bit finicky, it’s well worth the trouble; this is the best pound cake that I’ve ever baked.

James Villas’ Pound Cake
from March 2008 issue of Saveur

12 ounces butter plus more for the pan, at room temperature
3 cups flour plus 2 tablespoons for the pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature

Heat oven to 325°F.

Generously butter a light-colored 10-inch tube pan. Add 2 tablespoons flour; turn pan to coat evenly with flour, tap out any excess, and set aside. (The inside of the pan should be smoothly and evenly coated with butter and flour, with no clumps or gaps.)

Using a sieve set over a bowl, sift together remaining flour, baking powder, and salt. Repeat twice more. In a measuring cup with a pouring spout, combine milk and the lemon, vanilla and almond extracts.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and beat until satiny smooth, about 3 minutes.

Add 1 egg at a time to the butter mixture, beating 15 seconds before adding another, and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Reduce mixer speed to low and alternately add the flour and milk mixtures in 3 batches, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down sides of bowl; beat just until batter is smooth and silky but no more.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and firmly tap on a counter so that batter to levels. Bake until pale golden, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. When cake is done, a toothpick inserted in its center should come out moist but clean. Let cake cool in pan on a rack for 30 minutes. Invert cake onto rack; let cool completely before serving.

Tags:   pound cake · rhubarb5 Comments