To me a fresh stalk of rhubarb dipped in sugar and eaten raw is the definition of summer. But as summer goes by, the rhubarb stalks become just a bit more bitter and then it’s cake, crumbles and pie time. I love making pie from scratch. It’s a cozy hearty treat that takes a certain time and dedication to make and therefore shows you care. I was about to make a rhubarb and strawberry pie with my garden’s rhubarb but changed my mind when the hot summer weather came to us that day. Sorbet seemed more appropriate. Here I made it using beetroot syrup mainly for the vibrant colour it give to the final result but you can easily use simple syrup instead.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of rhubarb cut in chunks
- 6 to 8 fresh strawberries
- 1/2 cup of beetroot syrup or simple syrup
- juice of half a lemon
To make the syrup take 1 cup of beetroot cooking water (the water you used to cooked beetroots in, if you’re looking for a reason to eat beetroots, check out last week post) and add 1 cup of sugar to it. Bring it to a boil and then stir it until all of the sugar is dissolved, which should take about 3 minutes. No beetroot cooking water available? just use plain water.
In another pot, cook the rhubarb and 1/2 cup of the syrup on low-medium heat until the rhubarb has softened and turned into a rhubarb mash. Add the lemon juice. Taste and add more syrup if you like a sweeter sorbet. Let the rhubarb mixture cool down before the next step.
In a blender, blend the rhubarb mash with the fresh strawberry until smooth. Now if you have an ice cream or sorbet machine (you lucky…) just use it and forget the next steps. If not, spread the mixture on a cookie sheet covered with a silicone non-stick sheet or parchment paper and put it in the freezer until completely frozen. When completely frozen, take the baking sheet out and break the frozen sheet of fruit puree in big chunks. Add all the chunks to a food processor and process until nice and creamy (I find it easier to do in two batches). Put the creamy sorbet in the container of your choice and put it back into the freezer until it’s hard again.
Let it thaw for 2-3 minutes before eating and then scoop it out using an ice cream scooper that has been previously warmed in hot water.
Top your sorbet with some of the extra syrup and voilà.
Hope you will enjoy this summery treat, we sure did…
xxx
A
Servings per recipe: 8
Calories per serving: 58
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