Oh So Lovely Lavender Lemonade

 

Summer officially began this week, as did my super busy season at work...hence a post about lemonade.  Let me tell you there was nothing glam cooking in my little kitchen this week...just some soup from the freezer one night, eggs on toast another, and a simple, yet tasty salad tonight.  These are busy, busy times, plus there is the jungle of weeds to contend with and the ants to attack with great cunning and chemical.  At the end of the day I'm exhausted, and that's why I'm writing about lemonade.

 

This is no ordinary lemonade, mind.  The lavender infusion adds a lovely herbal note without overpowering the familiar tartness one expects from their lemonade.  And look at that colour!  Stunning!  In the name of "recipe research" I also added a splash of vodka, and it makes a dandy cocktail for days when you want your lemonade to have a bit more of a grown up twist. Days like today!!!

 

My lavender plant hasn't blossomed yet, so I used dried lavender, which you can find in health food stores or specialty groceries.  Remind me to one day tell you about this amazing lavender shortbread I make.  It's incredible.  I also sprinkle some dried lavender on my chicken as it's going into the oven to roast away.  It's good stuff this lavender, so if you buy some, don't think you can only make lemonade with it!

Simple and delicious, with only a little more effort required than opening a can of the frozen stuff...I'll be making this lemonade all summer long.  That whole thing about when life gives you lemons, blah blah blah, may actually have some truth to it.  

Lavender Lemonade

1 cup water
2 tbsp dried or 1/2 cup fresh lavender
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (freshly squeezed from about 3 lemons)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 3/4 cups - 3 cups cold water
fresh lemon wedges and lavender blossoms for garnish


To make lavender infusion, bring 1 cup of water to boil, and remove from heat.  Add lavender and let steep in a covered pot for about 15 minutes.  Strain liquid through a fine sieve into a pitcher, then add lemon juice and sugar.  Stir then add cold water.  I started off with a scant 3 cups, because you can always add more water if you think it's too strong, and don't forget about the ice cubes, which will weaken it.  Chill 2 hours, and garnish with lemon wedges and lavender.  ( I used some thyme, and it still looked pretty!) Makes 1 pitcher.  Adapted from House and Home.

My Aunt gave me this tray a long time ago...isn't it gorgeous?  Lemonade tastes even that much better served on something so pretty.

Strawberry Rhubarb Tiramisu

 

When I think of awesome collaborators, I think of:  Lennon & McCartney; Bono and The Edge, Hall & Oates; Tegan and Sara...

Bert and Ernie; Richie and The Fonz; Thelma and Louise; Hans Solo and Luke Skywalker; Betty and Veronica; Ben and Jerry...

 

Peanut butter and honey; peanut butter and chocolate; macaroni and cheese; bacon and tomatoes; strong black tea with milk and honey; vodka and tonic....

and of course...strawberry and rhubarb.  These two were meant for each other, playing off the tart and the sweet.  Whoever first combined the two was a genius.  Another genius was the person on staff at Chatelaine Magazine who came up with putting strawberry and rhubarb in tiramisu.  Brilliant!!!

 

I've been having my own little love affair with rhubarb this season, when I used it in this cake here, and oh, this tart here, and I haven't even chopped into my own stash, though it looks like it'll be good for the picking sometime this week.   This tiramisu is so good maybe I'll make it again!  I mean, think about it:  layers of ladyfingers, mascarpone cheese, and a lovely compote of rhubarb and strawberries.  Oh and the booze - just a touch!

This is one of those desserts you have to savour.every.bite. Acknowledge the hints of orange and vanilla, the sweet/sour rhubarb mouthful, the full bodied richness of the mascarpone cheese, and the slight detection of rum in the now cake-like ladyfingers. OH the decadence!  It's the perfect dessert for any special occasion, (or not...I just took some over to my Mom's for Sunday dinner) and it's great to make ahead.  Keep in mind that it probably has your daily allowance of fat, but what the hell...once in awhile a girl has to splurge.  You may just want to take a Zumba class, or run around the block a couple hundred times, or come over and weed my garden for me...

Strawberry Rhubarb Tiramisu

4 cups fresh rhubarb, sliced
1 cup granulated sugar
2 454 g packages of strawberries, preferably organic, about 8 cups, sliced
475g container of mascarpone cheese
1 orange, finely zested
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla
500 ml  (2 cups) whipping cream
1 tbsp granulated sugar
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup orange flavoured liqueur like Grand Marnier, (I didn't have so used rum, and it was fine)
3 5.3 oz (150g) packages of lady fingers biscuits

Place rhubarb and 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan, stir and bring to a boil, stirring often, over medium heat (no need to add water).  Boil gently until a thick sauce is formed, 15-20 min.  Stir in sliced strawberries and cook only 2 minutes.  Don't overcook or they'll lose their colour.  Refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes, or make ahead a day or two.

Place mascarpone in large bowl.  Stir in finely grated orange zest, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla. Set aside.  In the bowl of a mixer, whip the cream and 1 tbsp sugar until soft peaks form.  Fold this into the mascarpone filling, 1/3 at a time, until no white streaks remain.

Stir orange juice with the booze in a pie plate.  Dip both sides of the ladyfingers in the liquid, and place in the bottom of a 9x13 inch glass baking dish. On top of the ladyfingers spread a layer of the fruit filling, then the mascarpone filling. Repeat layers again, starting with the booze soaked ladyfingers, then the mascarpone, then the fruit on top. (If you have any of the orange juice/booze left, just pour it over your last layer of ladyfingers.) You won't need all of the ladyfingers, but I found 2 boxes wasn't enough.  You'll just have to use them up next time!  Cover with plastic wrap, and place the tiramisu in the fridge for about 6 hours or overnight.  Keeps well up to 2 days.  Serves 12-16.  Adapted from Chatelaine. 

Mexican Tomato Chickpea Soup - Don't Forget the Croutons!

 

My cilantro plant is monstrous.  Really.  Not sure what in the heck has gotten into it, but it is THRIVING hard core.  Maybe it's just really happy to be nestled between two Lemon Drop tomato plants, which are doing super well too, knock on wood. (Last year all of my twelve tomato plants were completely wiped out by blight, which took hold on the Prairies majorly last summer.  I scaled back to 4 plants this year, and I'm really really hoping to have a good crop.  Blight be damned!)

 

So what's a girl to do with all of this cilantro?  Some of you may have stopped reading already because you hate cilantro.  Don't give up on it!  Cilantro has a bright flavour, and yes, it can be a bit much when over done, so use sparingly, but in Mexican and Asian dishes, it really is a must have.  I wanted to make Mexican Tortilla Soup, but alas had no corn tortillas kicking around, but I DID have a few squares of this incredible foccacia left from the weekend.  Let me tell you, bathed in a little extra virgin olive oil, and tossed with some coarse salt, baked until golden, these were the best croutons I've ever had.  Lucky any of them made it into the soup!

 

This soup has similar flavours and textures to the Mexican Tortilla Soup - spicy, bright, crunchy, creamy avocado amazingness.  I used some good chicken stock I had made with the bones from this lovely bird, frozen a couple of months ago, and time to use it up.  Added some ripe Roma tomatoes, plenty of garlic, some diced jalapeno, red onion, and it was a pretty tasty broth in no time.  You could use chicken in place of the chickpeas, but I had none on hand, and I'm of lover of this legume, so I tossed them in.  At the last second added the chopped cilantro,  then scooped into bowls, garnished with amazing croutons and chunks of avocado, and a squeeze of lime.  Don't think it's impossible to make or eat soup in summer. This one is perfect because it's light, so incredibly flavourful, and a great way to use up any extra herbs or tomatoes you may have kicking around. Not to mention it was ready in under 30 minutes!  Done deal!

 

I'm not sure what my favourite part of this creation is - the crunch of the crouton; the spicy, limey broth; the bit when you get some chickpea AND some crouton AND some avocado in the same bite.  So. Good.  Nights like tonight I'm kind of glad I was eating alone, because after I took these photos, I slurped up both of these bowls of soup, with the broth running down my chin and I didn't care one bit.

 

Mexican Tomato Chickpea Soup

2 tbsp canola oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, and finely chopped, or leave some seeds in for however spicy you like
6 cups chicken broth, or veggie broth, organic or homemade
2 tsp sugar
4 large Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 can (540ml) of chickpeas, rinsed very well
1 handful of cilantro, chopped
salt, pepper,
1 avocado, chopped
1 lime, cut into sections of 6 or so
homemade croutons


In a large pot, heat the canola oil over medium high heat.  Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent...add the garlic and jalapeno pepper.  Cook a couple of minutes.  Add your broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and add chopped tomatoes and sugar.  Simmer 10 minutes, add the chickpeas, simmer 5 minutes longer.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Adjust seasonings...a bit more salt, or spiciness, you decide.  Scoop into bowls and garnish with more cilantro, lime wedges, croutons and avocado. Serves 3-4.

 

If you like, you can always substitute fresh basil for the cilantro, and it would still be delicious!

 

Look at that monster in the middle!!!

Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Leeks, Fresh Basil and Feta

I'm trying to behave myself.  Eating-wise, that is.  After last weekend's total glutton fest at the farm, I'm feeling the need to eat a little lighter, with a little less emphasis on the butter and bacon :(

It's not such a hardship.  I love me a nice big salad in summer - something simple, not requiring much effort on my part, because honestly after a day spent in the extreme hell of hotness - aka the kitchen at work -  I just want to hang out in the tranquil shade of my backyard - sipping a cocktail, reading a juicy novel, or just watching the cats chase bugs and birds.  'Tis summer after all!

Quinoa is my new best friend.  Read here for how awesome it is with curry and for the nutritious bonus points it packs.  You can add a multitude of flavours to it too, and it's always a shining star.  In this case, it was a little clean-out-the-fridge-and-add-it-to-quinoa-and-see-what-happens.  Magic, I tell ya.  Magic!!!

Leeks are the cosmopolitan cousins to the scallion.  Sweeter, with less of a bite, and simply marvelous when sauteed in a little butter or olive oil.  I'm totally digging them lately, as I've been putting them on turkey burgers, and even in a quiche on the weekend.  Lovely stuff.  Julie had put them in a quinoa salad a little while back, so this recipe is a bit of take off from that, with some modifications here and there.  Like I said, anything goes really.  I added some asparagus and fresh basil from the market, a chunk of feta, some toasted almonds just for fun, and nice juicy organic Roma's I got for a steal.  All bathed in a light olive oil and lime juice vinaigrette.  I packed it up and took it over to my Mom's where we ate it with some incredible artichoke asiago foccacia from Christie's Bakery.  (Yes, we did the Earl's thing and dunked it in olive oil/balsamic vinegar.  THAT never gets old.)

What else can I say about this salad?  It's healthy, delicious, pretty, and pretty darn good the second day, if you have leftovers.  Have I mentioned it gluten-free too?  Celiacs rejoice!  Now the hard part is saying goodbye to my good buddy bacon...

Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Leeks, Fresh Basil and Feta

1 cup quinoa, rinsed very well, for 3 minutes under running water
2 leeks, white and light green parts only; sliced in half lengthwise, then rinsed very well to get the gritty bits out and then thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
6 or 7 asparagus spears, blanched, and chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup feta, chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 small handful basil, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lime or lemon
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pan, add the rinsed quinoa with 3 cups water.  Bring to a boil, stir, and reduce heat, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.  Drain, and put back into pot, cover with lid and steam for another half hour or so.  Put in a large bowl, and let cool.  Meanwhile, after you've rinsed the leeks very well, and sliced them, heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the leeks when it's hot, and saute until they start to caramelize, oh about 12-15 minutes or so.  Add this to the quinoa.  Add the rest of your veggies.  In a jar, add the vinaigrette ingredients (oil-s&p) and shake shake shake.  Add to the quinoa mix and stir.  Adjust seasonings...let chill in the fridge while you go out and do something fun.  Or do nothing at all and take a nap. 

Cooking On The Farm, Part Two: The Desserts!

It's been well documented here that I love love love my sweets, so it's no surprise that the best part of the cooking cousins weekend was the desserts.  Yeah, everything we made here was super super awesome, but the desserts were the standouts.  Oooooohed and awwwwed over.  Eyes-rolled-back-in-the-head they were that good.  Some even cooed.  Ok, I cooed, but couldn't help it.  I was eating a strawberry chocolate springroll.  You would coo too!!!

When Leanne and I were texting back and forth over the menu, as soon as she said, "I'm going to make chocolate springrolls", I thought, holy smoke, this is going to be one helluva weekend!  I COULD NOT WAIT to see how these were made.  Leanne and Brian, like many of you I'm sure, religiously watch The Food Network (I don't have cable, so I almost never see it.  If I did have The Food Network I'm not sure I would ever leave my house.) and some dude was making these springrolls, and well, they were hooked.  Simple process really, make a chocolate and strawberry filling, add some nuts, if you like, freeze it.  Then chop the frozen filling into bar shapes, wrap in egg roll wrappers, and deep fry.  Heavens, yes.  We served them with Leanne's homemade chocolate sauce, and if you like caramel, try this amazing sauce to go with the springrolls too.  Delicious. 

Leanne's Strawberry Chocolate Springrolls

Melt:  3 100g Dark Chocolate Bars (Lindt 85% Cocoa was used in the recipe) plus
          4   1 oz. semi-sweet baking squares.

To this melted chocolate, add 2 cups sliced strawberries and a handful of nuts.  Leanne used peanuts, but use whatever you like.  Press in a parchment lined 9x13 baking dish, and freeze.  Great to make a day or two ahead.  While it's frozen, chop into bar-shaped chunks. 
Using egg roll wrappers, (Leanne used 1.5 packages), place one chunk in the middle of the wrapper. Dampen the edges, and fold corners in around the chocolate.  Set aside.  When all are wrapped, heat vegetable oil in a large pot on stove.  I'm not very scientific about deep frying, so I'm just going to tell you that when the oil is hot, start deep frying a few at a time, until golden.  Set aside, and keep frying until all are done.  Serve with chocolate and caramel sauces, and why not add some whipped cream too?  But I say that about almost all the desserts! 


Lately I'm all about the rhubarb.  There are so many great recipes abounding, I have to try them all!  Well not quite, but I'm trying.  I made this cake here, and I'm brainstorming another incredible rhubarb dessert to serve this weekend, but you have to hang onto your hat for that one.  This Rhubarb Tart with Brown Butter Streusel was no slouch either.  The Epicurious people described it as "a country tart meets city topping..."  and me being a city girl heading to the country for the weekend, well it seemed somehow apropos.  I'm a farm girl at heart, after all. 

When you make the streusel with brown butter, you'll wonder why you haven't done it sooner!  It adds a lovely nutty flavour to an already buttery, crumbly almond topping.  The crust is one of those straightforward shortbread types you press into your tart pan, and par bake.  (Can I just give a shout out to IKEA, and how much I loved baking this tart in their $6.95 tart pan?  Deal of the day!) And the fresh rhubarb shines through all of the butter and sugar, more and more delicious with every bite.  Again, a side of whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream would put this over the edge.  There were leftovers in the fridge and I almost snuck down from my attic guest room to have a slice in the middle of the night. But I didn't want to be rude because I'm hoping for another invitation to their wonderful farm. Maybe I'll even get a chance to drive a tractor!

Rhubarb Tart With Brown Butter Streusel

Crust:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large egg yolk
4 tbsp chilled whipping cream

Streusel:
9 tbsp (135g) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup golden brown sugar, packed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup all purpose flour

Filling:
5 cups fresh rhubarb, sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp grated lemon peel

To make the crust:  In a food processor, or with a pastry blender, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, and cut in the butter until coarse meal forms.  Add egg yolk, and 3 tbsp of cream.  Blend until moist clumps form, adding more cream if dough is dry.  Gather dough into a ball, and press it into a 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom, to make 1/4 inch crust.  Pierce crust all over with fork, and chill for at least 2 hours. 
To make streusel:  Cook butter in large skillet over medium heat, until golden, stirring often, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, add nuts, sugar and cinnamon.   Add flour and stir until moist clumps form.  Cool completely.  (Crust and streusel can be made one day ahead.)
For filling:  Preheat oven to 375*F.  Toss all filling ingredients in a bowl, let stand until filling looks moist, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.  Bake cold crust until golden, pressing with back of fork if crust bubbles, about 20 minutes.  Remove from oven, reduce oven temp to 350*F.
Spoon filling into warm crust.  Crumble streusel over filling.  Bake until filling is bubbling and streusel is crisp and brown, about 1 hour.  Cool tart on rack for 30 minutes.  Serve warm, or room temp.  Serves 8-10.  Adapted from Bon Appetit.

I slept like a baby in the cozy attic, not even banging my head once!

Cooking on the Farm, Part One: Turkey Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries and Grilled Caesar Salad

One minute I'm in the city, singing along with Bono at the U2 concert and a few days later I'm in the country, cuddling 2 week old kittens.  What a life I lead!  My cousin Brian and his wife Leanne, invited me and Denise (Brian's sister) to their farm two hours away, for a cooking/eating extravaganza weekend.  All I can say is thank God for stretchy pants!  Everything was awesome....the food, yes, but being in the company of cousins, that was the best part.  And ok, I kind of loved this teeny grey kitten, and no I didn't take him home with me.  Not yet, anyway.

So what the heck did we make?  Brian and Leanne have 4 really great kids, so I wanted to make something they would inhale too - and what kid doesn't like turkey burgers?  Sweet potato fries are the perfect side, especially with a sweet and smokey honey chipotle dip to dunk the fries in.  We slathered this dip on everything...and it was divine.  Leanne makes a killer grilled Caesar salad - my first time trying it, and now there is no going back.  Seriously...grilling romaine is sensational!  There were roasted vegetables, perfectly done in foil pans on the BBQ.  Denise brought an insanely delicious artichoke dip - a variation of this one here, which is one of my favourite things to eat in the whole world.  But my absolute favourite were Leanne's homemade perogies, baked with onions and bacon in a dill cream sauce.  Oh yeah baby.  My camera kind of goofed up when taking a shot of the perogies, so you'll just have to take my word for how awesome they were.  (If ever you find yourself in the Luseland, Sask. area, she sells them at the Farmer's Market, and they go like crazy.)  And I haven't even talked about the desserts yet!  I'm saving that bit of deliciousness for the next post, but I promise it will be worth waiting for.   


Turkey Burgers with Fried Leeks and Cranberry Sauce

Frying a few leeks in butter adds a little sophistication to this burger, and the cran sauce is the perfect foil for the turkey.  I got the recipe from the latest issue of "O" magazine, but made a few changes, which I think will make an even awesomer burger.  Oh, and the kids loved the leeks too. 

3 tbsp butter
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, washed very well and thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 2 tsp fresh, finely chopped)
1/2 tsp dried sage (or 2 tsp fresh, finely chopped)
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 3/4 pounds (787 grams) ground turkey, preferably a mix of both light and dark meat
canola oil, for greasing grill
aged white cheddar, sliced
bacon, cooked
lettuce leaves, tomato slices
4 hamburger buns, sliced
mayo, grainy mustard, whole berry cranberry sauce

Preheat grill to medium-high.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of butter over medium and fry leeks until golden and bright.  Set aside.  Add the rest of the butter and cook the onions and garlic until translucent.  In a large bowl, add the turkey meat.  Add the cooked onion and garlic mixture to this, along with the herbs, salt and pepper, and Dijon.  Form into 4 patties.  Place on preheated grill and cook, flipping once, until fully cooked, about 10 minutes.  During the last few minutes, top burger with cheese, and toast buns until lightly golden. 
Top the burgers with the fried leeks, bacon, cranberry sauce, mayo and mustard.  Lettuce and tomato too if you like. Serves 4.  

Sweet Potato Fries with Honey Chipotle Dip

This one is easy.  Take some sweet potatoes, say 2 large.  Peel and slice into "fries" or wedges.  Drizzle with olive oil, coarse salt, and fresh pepper.  Place on a parchment lined bake sheet in a preheated 375* oven, on the lowest rack, and cook until crisp, flipping a few times so they are evenly brown.  Takes about 30 minutes.  Good like that, or try this:  mix good quality mayo (I like the Hellman's Olive Oil kind), with a few dashes of Chipotle Tabasco sauce, and a little honey.  We didn't really measure, so just use your discretion.  If you like it spicy, add more Tabasco; need more sweet?  Add more honey.  We loved this with chips, too.  And it's delicious on a burger. It's mayo and it makes me happy. 

Grilled Caesar Salad

Take 2 heads romaine.  Slice in half lengthwise.  Drizzle with olive oil, cracked pepper and salt.  Place on a preheated grill and cook until slightly charred and wilted.  Chop immediately and place in a salad bowl.  Add chopped cooked bacon, croutons, fresh Parmesan, and drizzle with your favourite Caesar salad dressing.  Denise made a killer one of red wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, anchovy paste, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, chopped garlic, Tabasco, Worcestershire,and Parmesan cheese all shook up in a jar.  So good.   It's warm and wilty, but super super delicious with the grilled romaine.  Go ahead and try it!!! Serves 4.

For the roasted veg, take an assortment of your favourites, toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, your favourite herbs, place in a foil pan, and place on the BBQ or oven to roast until done.  Cherry tomatoes and broccoli are super good when roasted.  And red onions.  Must have those. 

Did someone want to see the kittens?

t,

Rhubarb Custard and Crumble Cake

Lucky me, I've been on a mini vacay most of this week.  My favourite band in the whole world, U2, was playing in Edmonton on June 1, and I HAD to be there!  Let's just say that when I'm a little old lady of 95 withering away somewhere, I'll look back on that night and think, holy crap, that was a really, really fantastic show!  This was my third time, and nothing will compare to the first show back in 1997, but it did hold up to my higher than normal expectations.  I've loved them since the summer of 1987, when I was a lonely and bored 14 year old girl, and I played "The Joshua Tree" over and over again on my little pink ghetto.  The music resonates with me, what can I say? I'm afraid my friends might de-friend me if they are bombarded with more photos and videos, and you don't want to hear about U2 do you?  You want to know more about this crazy rhubarb custard and crumble cake!

The other good thing about going back to Edmonton is that I get to catch up with some dear sweet friends, one of whom is Louise.  In late Winter, Louise and I entered into a handmade trade deal.  She is this wonderful knitter who creates beautiful, beautiful things with needles and yarn.  I wanted to be a part of this trade for sure!  I knit, but I never stray too far from the rectangle, and never really follow a pattern. I make pretty scarves and blankets though!  Anyway, I was sure to get the better part of this deal, but I wanted to bring Louise a cake.  The 5.5 hour drive meant that it had to be a cake that would hold up well.  I knew I could keep it in my friend Mel's fridge overnight, at the halfway point of the drive, but it still had to be something with not too much dairy, and for God's sake, no icing.  My car has no air conditioning.  I know, crazy.  Lucky for me, I saw the most amazing Rhubarb cake here, and because she called it Rhubarb Krack, I knew it had to be good!  It's buttery, custardy, and crumbly.  How can this not be good?

So the morning I'm supposed to leave, I'm running around like a crazy person, trying to get this cake in the oven, and because it has a 80 minute baking time, I had to hustle up.  Assembly is really not bad, just a shortbread crust base, lots of chopped rhubarb in the middle, with eggs and sugar whisked and poured over, then a crumble topping.  That's it!  I had bought a brand new spring form pan, and you know how they sometimes leak?  So I am outside, doing some last minute planting and watering and mowing the grass, when I hear the smoke alarm go off.  My whole entire house was smoke filled.  Hooray!  I looked in the oven, expecting a grandiose mess, but it was just some butter wreaking havoc.  No biggie.  Opened all of the windows and it was fine.  The cake really did take about 80 minutes, until it's all golden and gorgeous. 

Because this cake was a gift, I could not cut into it.  You have no idea HOW BADLY I wanted to just sneak a corner, sneak a taste.  But I behaved myself.  The cake arrived to Louise,  unscathed.  So I asked Louise to sum up the taste of the cake:  "The bottom crust reminded me of shortbread.  The whole thing wasn't too sweet, not too sour, a wonderful rhubarb mouthful.  As heavy as the cake is weight wise, it's a surprisingly light dessert, or breakfast.  It's a winner, across the board!"  She also suggested serving it with a side of yogurt, if eating it for breakfast.  I think a side of whipped cream would be pretty amazing too, any time of day!

Rhubarb Custard and Crumble Cake 
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup salted butter, in 1/2 in pieces
7 eggs
8-9 cups fresh rhubarb, sliced
2 cups sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, in 1/2 inch pieces

Preheat oven to 350*F. 
Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a spring form pan. 
In a food processor, pulse 2 cups flour, 2/3 cup butter, 1 egg, until the texture of sand, and it holds together in a clump between your fingers.  Press this in the bottom of your pan.  Top with the chopped rhubarb.  Pan will be full!
Whisk together 6 eggs, and 2 cups of sugar.  Pour this over the rhubarb. 
To make the topping, combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter.  Sprinkle this over the rhubarb.  Bake for 70-80 minutes, until the top is golden. (Like I said, mine did leak a little through the pan, so maybe line the bottom of your oven with foil to prevent a mess.  There was no burnage on the cake, so all was well!)  Let cool, then for best results, refrigerate overnight before taking the bottom and sides off of the pan.  Serve with a side of whipped cream, or yogurt. 
It sounds super delicious, I can't wait to make it again, this time so I can taste it!!!

Oh, wanna see what Louise made me?  She felted handmade soap.  I, know, cool hey?  Bars of delicious smelling soap magically felted with pretty wool.  Perfect for exfoliating, and it smells wonderful.  Thanks Louise!!!