Rhubarb Tart - good for you and oh so DELICIOUS!

One of my favorite Summer treats is Rhubarb pie! I have combined it with many other fruits, for a delicious dessert or afternoon snack.

 Early records of rhubarb in America identify an unnamed Maine gardener as having obtained seed or root stock from Europe in the period between 1790-1800. He introduced it to growers in Massachusetts where its popularity spread and by 1822 it was sold in produce markets. Earliest records of rhubarb, date back to 2700 BC in China where Rhubarb was cultivated for medicinal purposes (its purgative qualities). It is amazing how far back some of the delicious vegetables, fruits and nuts date. My mind wanders, thinking, how  did our ancestors use it?  From my research, it was used more as medicine, now we enjoy delicious deserts and side dishes. It is a perfect complement to pork or chicken.

Rhubarb is a cool season, perennial crop. It requires temperatures below 40 °F / 5 °C to break dormancy and to stimulate spring growth and summer temperatures averaging less than 75 °F / 24 °C for vigorous vegetative growth. The Northern U.S. and Canada are well suited for rhubarb production. In the United states it grows best in the northern states from Maine south to Illinois and west to Washington state. Once planted, rhubarb plantings remain productive for 8 to 15 years. I am trying to figure out where I can plant a rhubarb plant, I just love it! For now, I buy it at my local farmers market. 

Rhubarb Tart

adapted from Eva Kenly

Pastry:

1 c. flour

1/2 c. cake flour

1/2 tsp. salt

10 T cold unsalted butter, cubed

2 T cold lard, cubed (or shortening)

4 T ice water

Combine flours and salt in your food processor.

  Place the butter and lard on top of the flour, and pulse until the mixture has a course texture.

Sprinkle ice water over the mixture and pulse a few times. Do not overwork.

Remove from bowl and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disk, wrap, and chill for 1 hour.

Roll out the pastry to fit into a 10-11" tart pan. Trim pastry to within 1 " of the pan and fold over into the pan, making the edge thicker. Chill again.

Preheat oven to 400F. Line pastry with foil and fill with pie weights (can substitute rice and reuse) Bake for 20 minutes, carefully remove the weights and the foil, by picking up the foil and cradling the weights, be careful their HOT! Bake another 10 minutes. Then cool.

*You can bake the shell a day ahead

Filling:

6T unsalted butter

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. vanilla

4 oz. lightly toasted almonds, ground fine

2 eggs

1/4 c. flour

1 1/2 lb rhubarb

Topping:

6 T flour

3 T. golden brown sugar

3 T. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in the almonds, vanilla, eggs and flour. Spread the filling over bottom of baked tart shell.

Cut the rhubarb into 3/4" pieces and place on top the filling. Bake for 20 minutes.

For the topping: Combine the flour, sugar and butter and either rub together with fingers or use a fork or pastry cutter, until crumbly.

After 20 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 375. Sprinkle tart with topping and bake for another 35-40 minutes.

Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping!

 Stay cool! Cheers! JJ

Looking forward to Sweet One's Sweet Shop, this Friday! I can hardly wait to see what she is making!