Perfect Rhubarb Crumble Pie

I love rhubarb--tart, tangy ruby-red rhubarb. It's one of the first plants to pop up in my Springtime garden. Actually, it's the only food crop that appears in my garden at any time of year. I live in "deer country".

Bambi and company don't just wander through occasionally. They live here. In the morning they munch on the salal, at noon they frolic through the flower beds after a short nap on the back lawn, and in the evening they bed down under the cedars.

Nothing is off-limits to our four-hooved friends....nothing, that is, except for the rhubarb.

Spring in our part of the world is cool and rainy. I'm thankful that we are not blanketed with snow, but the days can seem rather dreary; at times the gray skies are a bit depressing. However those cool rains reward us with a fresh new crop of rhubarb just begging to be picked, so today I gathered a few plump stalks and decided to prepare one of my family's favorites -- rhubarb crumble pie.

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pastry shell
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 5 teaspoon cornstarch
• 4 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

Instructions

1. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a large mixing bowl. Add rhubarb slices and toss until all slices are covered with the sugar-cornstarch mixture. Set aside for about 10 minutes or until sugar appears moist.
2. Place the rhubarb-sugar-cornstarch mixture in the unbaked pastry shell.
3. Place flour, butter or margarine, and brown sugar in another mixing bowl. Cut butter into flour and sugar with a pastry blender until the mixture has the appearance of coarse crumbs. Place this crumble mixture atop the rhubarb in the pastry shell, spreading to evenly cover the rhubarb.
4. Chill the prepared pie in the refrigerator for one hour. (This resting time will allow the cornstarch to begin to thicken the pie filling).
5. After one hour, preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Bake pie in preheated oven for 50 minutes or until crumble topping and pastry edges appear golden brown.

New Recipe - Barley RIsotto

A Different Type of Risotto

Risotto is an Italian dish—rice slowly cooked in broth to a creamy consistency. Yes, it takes a bit of time (about 30 minutes) but is really quite easy.

I found barley on sale today at my local grocery store and so we're taking a slight detour from tradition. In fact, I'm not sure we can even accurately call this "risotto" because it's made with barley instead of rice. However, both rice and barley are grasses and the techniques used to cook them are very similar.

What are the Health Benefits of Barley?

Barley is truly a super-food. Not only does it taste great (nutty and chewy); but it's also high in fiber. That fiber makes it an excellent choice for lowering blood cholesterol levels, protecting against atherosclerosis, ischemic stroke, diabetes, insulin resistance, and obesity, and lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Cook Time

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 45 min

Ready in: 1 hour

Yields: 4 servings

Barley Risotto

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon or turkey bacon
• 3 tsp. olive oil, divided
• 2 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup onion, minced
• 1 cup barley
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

1. Place chopped bacon and 1 tsp. olive oil in a sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Bring broth and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
3. Place the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil, sliced mushrooms, and minced onion in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mushrooms begin to give off their liquid and brown, and onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
4. Add barley and stir so that all grains are coated with olive oil.
5. Add 1/2 cup wine to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the wine is mostly evaporated.
6. Turn the heat to low. Add 1/2 cup broth to the pan and cook until most of the broth is absorbed.
7. Continue to add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, and cook until barley is cooked through; about 35 to 45 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese and reserved cooked bacon.