I love rhubarb. One reason being the tart, eye-wincing flavour it imparts. The second - it is one of the few harvests that is not imported from Portugal or Guatemala. It grows in our back yards and reminds us of simpler times. Days spent with grandmothers in frilly aprons, boiling it on the stove or making a pie with plump, fresh strawberries. Hot, sticky summer days deserve a good dose of nostalgia and a tasty rhubarb treat. This tart has a nice, buttery pastry and the rhubarb is made extra zippy with the added lemon peel. I don't know about y'all, but this ain't my grandma's rhubarb! This one's got zing!
Rhubarb Tart
Recipe courtesy of The Rhubarb Compendium
Crust:
1-2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
2 tbsp (or more) ice water
3 tbsp apricot jam
Filling:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
3-3x1/2" strips lemon peel (yellow part only)
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
2 lbs fresh rhubarb, trimmed, cut diagonally into 1/2" thick pieces (about 6 cups)
For crust:
Mix flour and salt in large bowl. Add butter and cut in, using pastry cutter or two knives, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add sugar and egg yolks and blend briefly. Add 2 tablespoons water and process just until moist clumps form. If dough is dry, add more water by teaspoonfuls to moisten. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until dough is firm enough to roll, about 30 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling.)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough disk on floured surface 12" round. Transfer to 9" tart pan with removable bottom. Trim crust overhang to 1/4". Fold overhang in, creating double-thick sides. Freeze tart crust 15 minutes.
Line crust with foil. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until sides are set, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake until crust is golden brown, piercing with fork if bubbles form, about 15 minutes. Brush crust with jam and bake until jam is set, about 5 minutes more. Transfer pan to rack and cool.
For filling:
Combine sugar and water in heavy large skillet over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add lemon peel and cinnamon stick. Increase heat and bring to boil. Add rhubarb and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover pan and simmer until rhubarb is just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Let stand covered until rhubarb is tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover and cool completely.
Using slotted spoon, remove rhubarb from cooking liquid and arrange in concentric circles in crust. Strain cooking liquid into heavy small saucepan. Boil liquid until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Cool syrup completely. Spoon syrup over rhubarb. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
