Home Cooking Chronicles: Rhubarb pie
BY BRIAN MEDFORD
As a baker, I love brown food. “Cara-
melization is fl avor” and “no soggy bot-
toms allowed” are two of my baking man-
tras. As much as a good, strong bake
excites me, spring has sprung and it’s a
pleasure to start introducing a bit of color
into our kitchens.
I’m an instructor at The Pantry, a cook-
ing school in Seattle. One of my col-
leagues, Becky Selengut, teaches a class
called “Misunderstood Vegetables.” She
is a culinary decoder for underappreciated
vegetables.
My colorful spring baking favorite,
rhubarb, is technically a vegetable but is
considered a fruit because it’s most often
cooked as one. It is also misunderstood.
Rhubarb conjures a grandmotherly vibe
for some people. To them, I say thank you
— there is no higher compliment than say-
ing something I make reminds you of your
grandmother.
I have two rhubarb rules: the stalks
are cooked and the leaves are not eaten
(they’re poisonous). Although folks
assume they are codependent, rhubarb
shines nicely without strawberries. Rhu-
barb’s sharpness sings when paired with
citrus or sugar.
Rhubarb works in both savory and
sweet dishes when a hint of pink and
touch of zing is appreciated. The only
exception to this is when my friend put
rhubarb in a barbeque sauce, where it does
not belong. The Southerner in me was
appalled.
Let’s celebrate spring and celebrate
the mystery of rhubarb, one of the earliest
gifts from the garden.
Rhubarb Ginger Buckle (Adapted
from Julie Richardson; yields eight
to 10 servings)
Rhubarb meets an old-fashioned (but
alluringly delicious) cake. A buckle is
a single layer cake with berries or fruit
mixed in the batter, which gives it a
“buckled” or indented appearance.
Ginger crumb topping ingredients
• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• ¼ cup all-purpose fl our
• ¼ cup fi nely chopped candied ginger
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Brian Medford
Rhubarb ginger buckle features in-season rhubarb and ginger.
columbiamemorial.org/having-a-baby
6 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Cake ingredients
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose fl our
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon dried ginger
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room
temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 pound rhubarb, thinly sliced
Preparation
Heat an oven to 350 degrees Fahren-
heit. Butter a 9-inch round baking pan
that is 2 inches tall. Line the bottom with
parchment.
Make the ginger crumb topping. Mix
granulated sugar, brown sugar, fl our and
candied ginger together in a bowl. Stir in
melted butter until well combined. Break
the mixture up into “gravel” pieces and put
in the freezer while you make the cake.
For the cake, whisk fl our, baking pow-
der, baking soda, ginger and salt in a bowl.
Set aside. Using a stand mixer with a pad-
dle attachment, spend about fi ve minutes
creaming the butter, sugar and lemon zest
on medium-high speed until the mixture
is light and fl uff y. Scape down the sides of
the bowl as needed.
Add the eggs, one at a time, scrap-
ing down the sides of the bowl after each
addition. Add one-third of the fl our mix-
ture to the batter and mix until just com-
bined. Then mix in half of the buttermilk
mixture. Repeat with the next third of the
fl our mixture, followed by the second half
of the buttermilk. Finish with the last third
of the fl our mixture. Scrape down the sides
of the bowl occasionally. Gently fold in
rhubarb.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan,
sprinkle the frozen crumb topping over the
cake. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until
golden. A toothpick should come out with
just a few crumbs on it.
Brian Medford is the owner of Idlewild
Biscuits and Bakes in Astoria. He teaches
cooking classes at The Pantry in Seattle.
Contact him at blmedford@gmail.com.