Roasted Rhubarb Ricotta Toast

This recipe is like cheesecake on toast: tangy, sweet, and delicious! The ricotta give you a dose of protein, and rhubarb and whole grain toast offer up fibre, making for a super satisfying breakfast or snack. Roasting the rhubarb adds a unique depth to its flavour, especially when paired with flavours from honey, vanilla, and orange zest. We used our very own Melon Blossom Honey of course, but whatever you have on hand would work! Alternatively, you could swap it out for maple syrup. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

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*Serves 3-4

Ingredients

2 cups rhubarb, cut into 2-inch long pieces

1/3 – 1/2 cup honey, depending how sweet you like it!

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 cup ricotta cheese

3-4 thick slices of bread of choice

1 tablespoon sliced or chopped almonds

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°.

  2. Wash, trim, and chop rhubarb. Cut them diagonally for an extra pretty presentation!

  3. Whisk vanilla into honey.

  4. Toss rhubarb pieces with honey in a medium-sized bowl until they are evenly coated.

  5. Sprinkle with orange zest.

  6. Transfer prepared rhubarb pieces to a baking pan lined with parchment paper. There will be some extra honey in the bowl, so be sure to scrape that out on top of the rhubarb pieces!

  7. Roast for 15 minutes or so. Rhubarb should be tender but still holding its shape.

  8. While rhubarb roasts, toast your bread.

  9. Spread approximately ¼ cup of ricotta cheese on each piece of toast.

  10. When rhubarb is ready, lay atop your ricotta toast.

  11. Spoon some of the liquid (it’s so good!) from the pan on top of the rhubarb pieces.

  12. Sprinkle with almonds and enjoy!

Recipe developed and photographed by on-farm Registered Dietitian Alex Chesney

Rhubarb for Breakfast Two Ways

Rhubarb has such a wonderfully tangy and fresh flavour, which makes it the perfect addition to your breakfast plate! It brightens up that first meal of the day, and makes you excited to face whatever adventure is heading your way. At least, it does for me! Check out these two breakfast ideas that will fuel you up and keep you energized. Let me know what you think!

Stewed Rhubarb on French Toast

*Serves 4

Ingredients

Stewed Rhubarb

2 cups rhubarb, chopped

1 tablespoon water

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon honey (more or less, to taste)

French Toast

8 slices bread of your choice

4 eggs

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon butter

Toppings

1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 2%

Cinnamon

Honey (optional)

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a small pot, and place over medium-low heat. Cook for 5 – 8 minutes, stirring frequently and mashing as the rhubarb starts to soften. Once rhubarb has softened completely, it’s all ready to go!

  2. To prepare French Toast, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

  3. Heat a pan over medium-low heat, and melt half of the butter. Once the butter is sizzling, dunk 4 slices of bread into the egg mixture, and place in the prepared pan. Cook for approximately 3 minutes per side, until the French Toast is golden brown. Flip and repeat on the other side, then repeat the process for the 4 remaining slices of bread.

  4. Top your prepared French Toast with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt, a generous scoop or two of stewed rhubarb, and sprinkle cinnamon on top.

  5. Breakfast is served!

Recipe created & photographed by Alex Chesney, RD

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Rhubarb Crisp Parfait

*Serves 4

Ingredients

4 cups rhubarb, chopped

2 tablespoons sugar

½ cup oats

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1 tablespoon hemp hearts

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup butter

2 cups Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375⁰F.

  2. Mix together the rhubarb and sugar, and place in a small baking dish. Next, combine oats, chia seeds, hemp hearts, and brown sugar. Once combined, cut in the butter until a crumbly mixture forms.

  3. Top the rhubarb with the oat mixture, then place in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes, until bubbly and rhubarb is softened.

  4. Allow the mixture to cool, then you can begin to assemble the parfaits!

  5. Find 4 tall glasses or mason jars and add ¼ Greek yogurt to the bottom of each. Next, add a scoop of rhubarb crisp. Top with another ¼ cup of Greek yogurt, and finish with another scoop of rhubarb crisp on top. Screw on the lids if using jars or cover with saran or beeswax wrap if using glasses and store in the fridge until ready to eat.

  6. To serve, top with an additional sprinkle of chia seeds and hemp hearts. Enjoy!

Recipe created & photographed by Alex Chesney, RD

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Rhubarb BBQ Sauce

This past weekend we were finally treated to some warmer weather, and gosh was it ever overdue! We really need the sun to shine more often in order to be able to get our field work done.

On a lighter note, the sunshine also inspires us to cook up more summery meals. And this definitely fits the bill! Check out our recipe below for a homemade BBQ sauce that’s tangy and delicious, and features springtime rhubarb. It’s got some texture to it, and pairs wonderfully with chicken or pork. It’s not overly sweet, but does have some perfect sweetness thanks to the inclusion of brown sugar and our very own Strawberry BBQ Sauce!

Did you know that rhubarb is high in fibre, calcium, and vitamin C? Just 1 cup of diced rhubarb packs in 2.2g of fibre (8% of the recommended Daily Value, aka DV), 10% of the recommended daily intake for calicim, and 16% of the recommended vitamin C. It’s definitely an underrated springtime treat, for both its culinary and nutritional perks.

Give it a try today and let us know what you think!

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Ingredients

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 onion, minced

1” piece of ginger, minced or grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup rhubarb, diced

½ cup water

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup Thames River Melons Strawberry BBQ Sauce

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Dash of salt

Dash of pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 piece of minced onion to test the temperature. Once the onion starts to sizzle, you know it’s time to add the rest!

  2. Add the remaining onion and cook until softened, 3 – 5 minutes. Next, add the ginger and garlic and cook for an additional 1 – 2 minutes, until fragrant.

  3. Finally, add all remaining ingredients: rhubarb, water, brown sugar, strawberry bbq sauce, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, paprika, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper.

  4. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until rhubarb starts to soften. As it does, mash together to create a more unified sauce.

  5. Continue to cook until most of the moisture has evaporated, and the mixture has thickened.

  6. Serve with the protein of your choice: we topped our chicken meatballs with it, but it would also be delicious on BBQ’d chicken legs, or on pork!

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Recipe created & photographed by Alex Chesney, RD

Rhubarb Custard Bars

What a strange time of year — spring is clearly here, and we’ve had some gloriously warm & sunny days! But we’ve also had some very chilly, windy, and rainy ones. It seems to go back and forth, teasing us with warmth, then sending us running back inside with the cold.

This mix of temperatures allows for time with the oven on, though! And turning on the oven inevitably leads to baking for me. This week I whipped up some rhubarb custard bars: a delicious combination of creamy, tangy, and sweet flavours. If you can, try to snag a corner bar, as they get extra caramelization, and are even more delicious.

I found this recipe on a popular baking blog, and made a few tweaks: added some oats to the crust for extra texture and a bump of fibre, halved the sugar in the filling, and added vanilla for an increased depth in flavour. Although these adjustments do make these bars a little more healthy, they’re definitely still a dessert. And that’s okay! There’s more than enough room for desserts in our diets. It’s all about balance: maybe don’t eat the whole tray, but enjoy one or two without guilt, just enjoyment!

They don’t take long at all to whip up, but you do have to have some patience to allow them to fully cool and set. It’s worth the wait, though! Give them a try and let me know what you think.

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Ingredients

For the crust

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup oats

3/4 cup cold butter, cubed

1/4 cup sugar

For the filling

3 large eggs, beaten

¾ cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

4 cups rhubarb, diced

2 tablespoons icing sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

  2. Pat the crumbs into a well greased 9 x 13 in baking pan. Bake the crust at 350 F for 10-12 min or until lightly browned.

  3. While the crust is in the oven, mix together eggs, sugar, vanilla, flour and salt.

  4. Gently stir in the diced rhubarb. Pour the rhubarb mixture over the hot crust. Return bars to the hot oven. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is set and no longer jiggly

  5. Cool for 30 mins on the counter and then refrigerate until chilled before cutting into bars.

  6. Before serving, sprinkle with icing sugar for an extra hint of sweetness and a pretty final touch.

Recipe modified from http://chocolatewithgrace.com/rhubarb-bars/ by Alex Chesney, RD

Freezing Rhubarb

Rhubarb is such a classic taste of spring, and we're always a little sad when the season starts to wind down. But it doesn't have to be goodbye until next year! Try freezing some to enjoy all winter long with these easy steps: 

1. Trim off leaves (they are actually poisonous!) and about an inch from the bottom of the stalk.
2. Wash and dry thoroughly and chop into chunks about an inch thick.
3. Transfer chunks of rhubarb into a freezer-friendly zipper storage bag and place in the freezer.

There you have it! Easy as 1-2-3 :) Freezing fresh produce when it's at peak season is a great way to ensure your winter diet stays full of variety & health.

We also freeze some here on-farm so feel free to drop by any time!

Alex Chesney, RD

 

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Rhubarb & Yogurt Parfait

Here's a quick & easy, plus healthy & delicious treat that can be enjoyed as an on-the-go breakfast, or as a light dessert! Rhubarb & oats provide filling fiber, and Greek yogurt gives a boost of protein. Prepare ahead of time for easy enjoyment. Here's the recipe: 

*Serves 4

Ingredients:
6 cups rhubarb, chopped
6 tbsp honey
¼ cup water
3 cups Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups large flake oats

Instructions

  1. Place chopped rhubarb, 3 tbsp of the honey, and water in a medium stock pot over low heat. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is completely softened. 

  2. Meanwhile, whisk together Greek yogurt, 3 tbsp of honey, and vanilla extract. 

  3. Once rhubarb is cooked, begin to layer your parfaits into 4 mason jars. Start with 1/2 cup yogurt mixture, then layer on 1/2 cup rhubarb, then repeat once for each jar (total of 1 cup of yogurt and 1 cup rhubarb per jar).

  4. Top each parfait with 1/2 cup oatmeal.

Store in fridge until ready to enjoy!

Recipe created by Alex Chesney, RD

Rhubarb Crisp

Rhubarb crisp is so delicious & easy to make. It can be made using either fresh or frozen rhubarb - either works! This dessert makes the perfect addition to a weeknight family dinner, and here at the farm we love to nibble on leftovers (if there are any!) for a breakfast-time treat. 

Here's the recipe: 

Ingredients

Filling
4 cups of chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
Dash of lemon juice


Topping
1 cup quick cooking oatmeal
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Toss chopped rhubarb in sugar and transfer to a greased 9x9 baking dish.

  2. Prepare topping: mix oatmeal and brown sugar, then cut in softened butter.

  3. Once combined well, sprinkle on top of rhubarb. Bake for 30-45 minutes (until rhubarb is softened and mixture is bubbly). Enjoy!

Recipe created by Alex Chesney, RD