This one is going to be short and sweet – and tart.
One of the many joys of this season is rhubarb. We love it in my family and I buy it every chance I can because it’s only around for a little while. Usually I pair it with strawberries because they are also coming into season and the combined flavors are just perfect.
My go-to recipes are strawberry rhubarb pie or strawberry rhubarb crisp, but a pretty picture in the April issue of Gourmet magazine that combined rhubarb and oranges caught my eye, and I just had to try it. The Gourmet recipe called for puff pastry, but I had some phyllo dough in the freezer so I decided to use that instead.
It made a lovely and light dessert that everyone raved about at a recent family dinner party.
I also made an apple tart for the kids just in case they didn’t like rhubarb without strawberries. I used the same basic recipe, but substituted thinly sliced apples for the rhubarb and cinnamon for the citrus.
I need not have worried. They loved the rhubarb tart, but were especially enthusiastic about having two different desserts to try. Add some vanilla ice cream (one scoop for each flavor of tart of course) and what kid wouldn’t have fun with that?
Orange Glazed Rhubarb Tart
Adapted from recipe in Gourmet Magazine April 2009 issue
1 large orange
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 cup sugar
4 long rhubarb stalks, thinly sliced on the diagonal (1/8 inch)
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 half package phyllo dough, thawed (The Athens Brand I used comes with two separate rolls, so I used one)
Juice the orange and grate 1 teaspoon of zest from the rind. Mix orange juice, lime juice, sugar, orange zest and rhubarb and let flavors meld at least 10 minutes.
In the meantime prepare pastry. On a cook sheet covered with parchment paper, place one sheet of phyllo dough. Brush with melted butter using a pastry brush. Continue in this manner for 6 layers. Top pastry with half of the rhubarb slices, overlapping slightly and leaving 1/2 to 1 inch “crust” around the edges.
Repeat with six more butter basted phyllo layers and one more rhubarb layer. Bake pastry at 400 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes. While it is baking, pour marinade juice into a small saucepan and simmer over low heat to form a glaze. When pastry is finished, brush the top with the glaze. Serve with vanilla ice cream drizzled with extra glaze.
For a printable recipe click here