Garden Treats

I was well fed this weekend. Starting with nettle ravioli at Cafe flora for a one year celebration, to a tiered tower of tea treats followed with Chartreuse-Champagne at the Sorrento hotel with fellow bridesmaids. That was just the beginning.

This bread was baked - Pain a l'Ancienne from Peter Reinhart

Ginger was chopped for cookies

I waited in line at the market for some of the season's first asparagus - it was worth while











Sunday, Seattle was at it's best with clear skies and seventy degree weather. After running around Green Lake, with lots of scantily clad Seattlites, I came home to get my vegetable garden started. Before tasty veggies could be put in the ground, I had a few hours of weeding to do. One purple flower in particular had grown a vast underground network of roots and bulbs all over the garden bed that needed clearing. After procuring a sunburn on my shoulders, and my arm muscles had stopped working, I took a little lunch break.


I like to have sandwiches for lunch like most people, especially when the bread is a cookie and the filling is ice cream. The ice cream sandwiches I made were so mildly sweet, they were almost savory enough to be considered appropriate for a meal. When I went to the market early for asparagus, there were two varieties of rhubarb available. An heirloom Victoria variety, greener and tangier, and the more common Canadian Red. I picked a few of each to make the ice cream with.

I was inspired by Not Without Salt's post last week with rhubarb ice cream, and I decided to make my own version. On a side note, check out the link to classes on her blog. I attended a Meriengues & Curds class taught by her last week, and I learned some new techniques and ate some wonderful desserts.

I smooshed the ice-cream between ginger-oat cookies, and it was the perfect reward for a long day in the garden. It also wet my appetite so I was more than ready for the trip my mouth would take to New Orleans at my dinner club that night (fried okra, so good!).


Rhubarb Ice Cream
1 c. whole milk
2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. honey
1-2 short branches of rosemary (Or 3 Tbsp dried)
1 vanilla bean
pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in saucepan on medium heat, stirring to combine. After the mixture heats all the way through and begins to bubble on the sides, but not boil, take off of heat. Cover and let sit for about an hour. Put into the fridge to chill while you begin to make the rhubarb component.

3 c. chopped rhubarb
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
splash of bitters (optional)

Combine all in a saucepan at medium heat. Cover, and let the mixture heat up and boil for a few minutes. Take the lid off, stir, and let the mixture cook down a bit. After cooking for about 15 minutes, and the rhubarb has completely softened and is no longer in pieces, take off of heat. Put into fridge to chill completely.

After both the cream and rhubarb mixtures have chilled completely, take out of fridge. Strain the cream mixture into a large mixing bowl. Mix in the rhubarb mixture until fully incorporated. Freeze in your ice cream maker as instructed.

Ginger-Oat Cookies
1/2 c. unsalted butter at room temperature
1/3 c. Optimum vegetable shortening
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses
1 c. toasted oats (I put them in a cake pan in the oven for about 15 min. until golden)
1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
3/4 c chopped crystallized ginger

In medium mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients and set aside. In a mixer, cream together the butter and shortening. Add the brown sugar and cream until fluffy. Mix in the molasses, then the egg and vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients until they are just combined. Add the crystallized ginger until just combined. Put the dough in a covered bowl and chill in the fridge overnight.