Apple Rhubarb Crisp with Lemon and Ginger

My friend Kathy lives about a mile out of town, her and her husband have a beautiful garden along the side of their house that is easily seen from the road.  A large patch of rhubarb sits proudly at the front of this garden.  Kathy was telling me that she heard a knock on her door a few days ago and found a man on her front porch that asked if she would be willing to barter for some of their lovely rhubarb.  Kathy and the stranger bartered a trade of rhubarb for fresh fish.  The guy took his rhubarb and stopped by later to supply the fish he'd promised.

Whether you grow, buy, or barter for your rhubarb this recipe is a great way to use it up.  Ginger and lemon add a familiar, but new spin on the classic crisp.

Apple Rhubarb Crisp with Lemon and Ginger

Filling:
2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and sliced into 1/2" chunks (about 7 cups)
4 apples, cored and chopped into 1/2" chunks (about 4 cups)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon grated ginger (I keep a knob of ginger in my freezer, it stores beautifully and grates better from a frozen state)
the juice of one lemon

Crisp:
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg
the zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon grated ginger

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13" pan or 12 ramekins/mason jars.

2. Stir all Filling ingredients together and spread evenly into the prepared pan/ramekins/mason jars.

3. Stir together Crisp ingredients until a crumbly mixture forms. Sprinkle over Filling.

4. Bake pan for 30-35 minutes (ramekins/mason jars 20-25 minutes) or until Crisp is starting to get golden brown and the Filling is bubbling.

5. Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Berry Almond Cream Scones

These scones are a delicious breakfast, brunch, snack, or dessert item.  They're simple to pull together and way better than a coffeeshop scone. Dried berries rehydrated in amaretto are used in place of fresh berries, as fresh berries tend to bring too much moisture to the party and can make the scones soggy after a couple hours.

Berry Almond Cream Scones

inspired by this recipe by Ree Drummond

1 cup dried berries (I used a combination of blueberries and tart cherries)

1/2 cup amaretto

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup cold butter, cubed

2 eggs

3/4 cup cream (feel free to substitute milk, but they won't be as delicious)

Glaze:

1/4 cup cream

2 Tablespoons amaretto from soaking berries

2 cups powdered sugar

1. Add dried berries and amaretto to a jar and cover.  Let sit at room temperature to rehydrate for at least 4 hours before using (if you don't have 4 hours - add berries and and amaretto to a saucepan, bring to a boil, immediately remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes.)

2. Drain rehydrated berries, reserving 2 Tablespoons for the glaze.  Save the rest of the liquid for a cocktail.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease two baking sheets.

4. Add flours, almond meal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter to the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse 5-10 times or until coarse crumbs form.

5.  Add butter crumb mixture to a large bowl.  Add eggs, cream, and drained berries. Stir until a slightly shaggy dough forms.

6. Scoop dough onto a floured surface and form into two circles about 1/2 inch thick.  Use a pizza cutter to slice dough into triangles (8-12 scones per circle depending on whether you are making snack scones or more substantial breakfast scones).

7. Place scones on prepared pans and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

8. Transfer scones to cooling racks over parchment paper to cool completely.

9. Meanwhile make the glaze: whisk the cream, 2 Tablespoons of reserved berry-rehydrating-amaretto, and powdered sugar together.

10. When scones are cooled, drizzle the glaze over the scones.  When the glaze is dry, store in an airtight container.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce over Pasta and Kale

Roasted red peppers are one of those ingredients that I could add to every dish I make, but their delicate flavor is easily overwhelmed by other robust ingredients.  This sauce recipe lets the roasted red pepper flavor shine through.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce over Pasta and Kale
inspired by Quick and Easy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta by Ree Drummond

1 Tablespoon butter
3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 jar ( 12 oz. ) roasted red peppers, well drained and roughly chopped
1/2 can ( 14.5 oz.) fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained (add the leftover half can of tomatoes to chili, lasagna, or scrambled eggs)
1/4 cup white wine
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound pasta (I used whole wheat rigatoni)
1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed and leaves sliced 1/4" thick

1. In a 2 quart saucepan saute garlic and onion in butter over medium high for 3-4 minutes until onions and garlic are softened and lightly browned.

2. Add sauteed onions and garlic, red peppers, tomatoes, wine, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to a blender and puree for 20-30 seconds or until no large chunks remain.

3. Add the sauce back to the saucepan and simmer on medium low for 15-20 minutes or until it thickens slightly.

4. Meanwhile bring a pot of water to a boil, add the pasta.  2 minutes before it is ready add the kale to the water.

5. When the pasta is fully cooked drain the pasta and kale.  Serve the sauce over the pasta and kale.