There are certain fruits and vegetables that I adore seeing on display at the Farmer’s Markets, but I never quite know what I’d make with them if I gathered them up and brought them home. Things like persimmons, pomegranates, quinces, globe artichokes and kale all fall into this enticing, yet somewhat untried and untested category. Invariably I find myself wandering the stalls until I reach produce that I’m comfortable with, produce that speaks to me immediately with recipe ideas. The berries, the stone fruit, the citrus, the root vegetables, the salad greens. In fact, come to think of it, there’s actually quite a lot that I don’t walk past… I guess it just feels that way sometimes.
With this innate feeling that I’m missing out on experiencing these seasonal treats, the plan is to gradually overcome this little shortcoming by delving into these delights that others know and understand already. I feel very lucky in the fact that many of the food bloggers I follow, either come from or live in parts of the world where the use of these ingredients is nothing unusual, so a wonderful selection of recipes and knowledge is there to be discovered.
For me, rhubarb falls on the fringe of this category. We used to (quite happily) eat bowlfuls of stewed rhubarb, with a dash of milk, cream or ice-cream stirred through, for dessert when I was growing up. It’s just unfortunately something that I don’t tend to cook for my own family. Time to turn that around!
Rhubarb and Raspberry Tart | Gather and Graze
I used a delicious shortcrust pastry recipe from a British/Dutch blog named ‘My Foodtopia’ – please see here for the link to the pastry recipe. It made enough pastry for not only the rhubarb tart, but for a dozen gorgeous little Strawberry Jam Tartlets as well (which were baked in a muffin tin) – photo attached here.
I found it best to make the pastry first, press it into the tart tin and then allow it to rest/chill in the refrigerator while the filling is being made.
Ingredients for the filling:
- 450g Rhubarb (chopped)
- 220g/1 Cup Raw Sugar
- 125ml/½ Cup Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Paste or Extract (or the seeds from 1 Vanilla Pod)
- 100g Raspberries (Fresh or defrosted from Frozen)
Place the rhubarb, sugar, juice and vanilla into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then allow to boil for about 10 – 15 minutes (stirring occasionally) until it becomes a jam-like consistency. Remove from the heat, stir in the raspberries and allow to cool completely.
Once cool, spoon the mixture into the prepared tart case and top with pastry lattice. Brush the pastry with a little egg wash (1 egg beaten with a teaspoon of milk or water).
Place into the oven, pre-heated to 180°C and bake for approximately 40 – 45 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
Allow to cool completely, before serving with whipped cream and/or ice-cream.
- Filling recipe inspired by, but adapted from a Gourmet Traveller recipe.
Gather & Graze 
Unfortunately, rhubarb is virtually an unknown in Brazil. I love the stuff.
AV
Any chance of growing your own AV, or does the weather get too hot where you are? I’m guessing that, on the flip-side, you have access to many other varieties of fruit and vegetables that we don’t see over in this part of the world. Cheers, Margot
I don’t know. I’ve always (in NZ) grown from an existing plant, yank out a good clump (a mixture of brute strength and finesse required) and plant it. The problem here is to find an existing plant. As for hot, yes it is, maybe it’s available further to the south, a climate more like NZ. Oh yes, we have many fruit that you don’t have; hopefully in a few months I’ll be able to open the window and pluck fresh passionfruit off the vine that is growing along the house.
Love the idea of having fresh passionfruit on hand like that AV. Such a delicious fruit – on it’s own or scattered over slices of fresh mango or mixed berries – doesn’t get much better!
I hadn’t realised that there was an NZ link there – perhaps I should have guessed from your avatar… My most recent post, brings to the table ‘Hokey Pokey Biscuits’, borrowed from a fabulous kiwi cookbook. Margot
Yes, I have ex-patted for 21 years in Brazil and around the continent.
AV
Nice pairing. Certainly wouldn’t have thought of it. Of course, it’ll be a while before I can get my hands on fresh rhubarb – boohoo! 4 – 6 months seems like a long time. Maybe I’ll buy in frozen raspberries and try a version of Bakewell tart instead. Lattice work is very neat!
Thanks Johnny! That’s the trouble with these seasonal dishes when you live on the other side of the world! I’ve been eyeing off so many lovely desserts using stone fruit over the past few months and can’t wait for our summer to arrive to start making some of them. The Bakewell tart sounds like a wonderful alternative – love to see how it turns out if you do! 🙂
Mmmmmm, that looks so delicious!
Thanks Andrea, it was pretty delicious and so easy to make! Any leftover filling is great to stash away for jam as well… Cheers, Margot
These flavours look beautiful together…I make a compote that is very similar, but a tart would be even better! I love shopping at Farmer’s Markets too, and find that the grower will usually have lots of ideas on how to use their produce so it’s good to get chatting. Lovely blog by the way 🙂
Hi Sam, thanks so much for your lovely comment! You’re absolutely right – the people with the best ideas for using these types of the produce will be the growers themselves!
So fabulous that you’re part of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program – I’ll be keen to read more on your blog (when I get a chance) about your experiences with this! Such a worthwhile program for schools to be involved in. Cheers, Margot
I love rhubarb and love it especially so with berries! Your tart looks really beautiful and I’m sure it tastes as wonderful. I would really love to have this for tea. It would be just perfect!
Coincidentally, I’ve just bought some rhubarb and am still thinking of what to do with it! May go ahead and follow your lead to bake some tarts.
Cheers Jo! Love to hear what you think, if you happen to give it a go! I’m keen to find other desserts/dishes to use rhubarb in – do you have any tried and tested favourites to suggest? Margot
What a gorgeous tart Margot! It looks quite scrumptious. Love rhubarb! Time is up for us here, although I did see some stalks in my garden yesterday as I my girls were picking the carrots. Hmmm… I’ll have to see if I’ve got enough to try this lovely sweet.
Thanks Lidia! It must be a great thing to have growing in the garden – visually quite beautiful with it’s red stalks… I hope you find enough to make the tart with! I had a few scoops to spare from the quantity of filling that I made, so you could definitely reduce the ingredients a little to suit what you have. Margot 🙂
Gorgeous tarts, both the raspberry rhubarb and the little strawberry tartlets I wish I had preserved some of the rhubarb I had this year, it seems to have such a short season.
I agree Suzanne, it would be well worth squirrelling away a few jars of preserved rhubarb for use throughout the year. Lovely to hear from you. Thanks, Margot
Seriously you couldn’t dream of a better combination – yummy with a capital ‘Y’
I’m so pleased that you like it! Thanks for providing a great base for this tart Iain – it really wouldn’t be what it is without it. Cheers, Margot
That’s a gorgeous looking tart, Margot. I’m no fan of rhubarb but you sure do make it look tempting. 🙂
Thanks John, very kind of you to say so!
Mmmm, this looks delicious and pretty easy (relatively speaking!) to make as well. I have to say that I’m also intrigued by your reference to stewed rhubarbs and ice cream as dessert which sounds really good!
Hi Azita, it certainly is a very easy dessert to prepare! I need to start making double batches of pastry and storing portions away in the freezer – then fabulous desserts would be on hand any night of the week!
I’ll be re-visiting the stewed rhubarb option soon to see what childhood memories it brings back – I seem to remember mostly having it with a little milk stirred in, but not sure that it will be ‘my cup of tea’ anymore – might be more of a ‘cream’ girl now. 😉
I’m the same, we ate rhubarb all the time when we were kids but I don’t think I have ever cooked it since. Your tart looks magnificent Margot, love the rectangle shape!
Thanks Karen! Happy to have re-discovered rhubarb! Not too sure why I’ve been passing it by for all these years… Hope that your new business is getting off to a great start! 🙂
Beautiful!
Thanks! That’s very kind of you!
Cheers, Margot