I still remember the first time I heard about Rhubarb. My neighborhood friend had a garden in her backyard where her parents grew that funny looking stalk I called pink celery. They told me it was sour and not very tasty unless it was served with something sweet. Being the queen of sour candies I was intrigued, convinced I’d found my new favorite treat.
It was not an ingredient my mother ever cooked with, and my grandmother always stuck to the classics like cherry and apple in her desserts. However, if you’re lucky enough to live within driving distance of a Village Inn, then you know about free pie day. If you’ve never heard of this most amazing marketing scheme I’ll fill you in. Village Inn is one of those restaurants that has a menu that’s ten pages long and half of it is breakfast food. You can, of course, order breakfast all day. They’re also known for their extensive list of pies. I’m talking everything from classic apple to french silk. On Wednesdays you can get a free slice with ANY purchase. You can go in, buy a cup of coffee for $1 and get a free slice of pie. This quickly became a favorite meeting spot for all the broke teenagers in town. As you can guess, one day my parents took us out for dinner and as it was a Wednesday we all got to choose a free slice of pie. I chose Strawberry Rhubarb. From that day on, it has remained one of my favorite dessert combinations.
Until now, I had never prepared it myself. Rhubarb isn’t the easiest ingredient to come across back home in Nebraska. But here in London it’s a staple at all the farmers markets – even one of my local grocers had some fresh stock! Rhubarb is high in Calcium and Vitamin K – both essential for strong bones! You’ll also get a healthy dose of fiber to help the digestion process.
This recipe features my go to vegan tart crust that has a shortbread like texture. The filling also couldn’t be easier and does not have any added sugar!
Ingredients
Crust
1 C Almond Flour
1 1/2 C All Purpose Flour, can substitute a gluten free blend
1/2 C Powdered Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2/3 C Coconut Oil, melted
Filling
2 C washed and sliced Strawberries
1/2 Lemon’s Juice
5-6 stalks Rhubarb
Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC
Combine all ingredients for crust in a medium bowl. It should be slightly sticky, but not so much that it sticks to your hands.
Press dough into tart pan (greased if it is not non-stick). Bake for 10 minutes, until it is a light golden brown and has firmed up a bit.
While the crust is baking, cook down the strawberries with the lemon juice in a small saucepan. (If you’re strawberries are quite watery feel free to add 1 tsp of cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp cold water to thicken)
Slice the rhubarb to suit the design you’d like (doesn’t have to be fancy!)
Spoon the strawberries over the tart and spread evenly. Arrange the rhubarb slices on top however you’d like.
Bake for 15-20 min until rhubarb has softened.
Allow to cool a bit before slicing, enjoy!
