Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Rhubarb Cake, Rice Salad, and Weekly Veggies



The only thing I regret about the delicious rhubarb cake I devoured yesterday is that I don't have the recipe to share.  I visited my South African friend Hannetjie and enjoyed her delicious cake along with homemade sunflower seed-carrot rolls and coffee.  What a treat.  In addition to butter, she set out grovhakket leverpostej (a pork liver spread that is ubiquitous in Denmark), a tomato jam from South Africa, and a whipped fish spread with savory cream on top.  I wish I had the courage to try at least one of them, but I wimped out and stuck with butter.  I will ask Hannetjie for the cake recipe since it's rhubarb season and others might want to try it.  It has coconut in it, and the rhubarb is perfectly sweet and sour, that is, not overly sour or sweet.  By the way, the photo at the top was taken on my drive to see Hannetjie.  It's typical Denmark: wind generators and beautiful green and yellow fields.

I wanted to make something quick and easy for dinner, and I put my finger on just the thing. Rice salad.  The first time I had it was at my husband's aunt's house in France.  It's a cold salad and perfect for spring and summer, although we have it any time of year.  She made it with white rice, chopped chicken, tomatoes, and gherkins.  When I started making it in my own kitchen, I added whatever veggies I had on hand along with either chicken or canned tuna and some chopped hard cheese (cheddar or Comte, etc.).  Last night, I threw all of this into a big bowl:  albacore tuna, cucumber, tomatoes, purple cabbage, cheddar and Dubliner cheeses, and chopped green, pimento-stuffed, olives.  I cooked and cooled the rice and then added it to the veggie mix.  Over the top, I drizzled a vinaigrette of Dijon mustard, salt, red wine vinegar, and olive oil.  It's a healthy, satisfying, and easy meal.  To make it even healthier, substitute the white rice with brown rice.  I took the photo before the rice was added but forgot to take another one once everything was mixed together.

Our CSA box arrived and here is what's inside:
Bok choy
Green leaf lettuce
Leeks
Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Asparagus
Cauliflower
Potatoes
Grapefruit

The only idea that's popping into my head at the moment is potato-leek soup, and I need to find something interesting to do with the boy choy. I might make a quiche with the asparagus. Now, it's time to search for recipes...


2 comments:

  1. I work with Zach and he gave me the link to your site. My parents are both Danish so I grew up eating many foods that you are enjoying. My mother made a Rhubarb pudding. She would cook the rhubarb, strain the juice, sweeten it to taste then thicken it using tapioca. She would serve it either hot or cold and she always had to have a little creme to pour over it. If you try it I hope you enjoy it!

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  2. Hi Peggy. Sounds delicious! I will have to try it and make it the way you suggest. Thanks for sharing!

    Staci

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