SaucesShawna GuttmanJune 03, 2015strawberry, strawberries, rhubarb, ginger, sweet, jelly, compote, sauceComment

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

SaucesShawna GuttmanJune 03, 2015strawberry, strawberries, rhubarb, ginger, sweet, jelly, compote, sauceComment

Before I talk about this lovely Strawberry Rhubarb Compote, I wanted to share some news with you all! I was recently appointed the Public Policy Chair Elect position for the Philadelphia Dietetics Association. This role is such an honor for me. It will give me a chance to speak to congress members about crucial health and nutrition related issues that affect not only PA, but the nation. This upcoming weekend I will be going to Washington D.C. for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Public Policy Workshop 2015 to learn about crucial policies that will benefit the nation. Needless to say, I have been a busy bee trying to get ready. With all of this preparation, I haven’t had much time to blog. I did have a nice break last weekend to go strawberry picking with my love so of course I had to whip up a recipe!

We went to Linvilla Orchards in Media, PA. If you have local farms near you, I would highly recommend checking them out! I have so much to say about the importance of supporting local farms, but I will save that for another time after the workshop. If you are interested in reading more, I would recommend visiting the Sustainable Table. I will say that picking is a great activity for the family. It’s such a great way to introduce kids to where their food comes from. Not to mention, it is so incredibly rewarding to take all of that produce home to cook with. We brought home about 10 pints of strawberries! I made an incredible strawberry rhubarb compote with a really delicious ginger kick. We are going to can it so we have extra all throughout the summer. Boris has been eating the compote with peanut butter and I have been eating it over Greek yogurt. Sometimes it’s the simple recipes that offer the most versatility! I apologize for the short blog, but I hope you enjoy the recipe!

Ingredients:

2 pints of strawberries
6 small or 3 large stalks of rhubarb
5 cubes of crystallized ginger*, finely chopped
1/4th cup of honey
1/4th cup water
2 tsp vanilla

*Crystallized ginger can be found in the bulk section of Whole Foods or Wegmans, or in the spice isle of your local grocery store

Directions:

If you have large rhubarb, you may need to peel the skin as the skin can make it tough. It is okay to leave the skin on the smaller stalks. Chop the rhubarb into ½ inch pieces.
Wash and remove the stems from the strawberries. Roughly chop half of them. Leave the remaining strawberries whole.
Finely dice the crystallized ginger.
Combine the rhubarb, water, and honey in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Allow the rhubarb to soften, approximately 5 minutes.
Add the strawberries and ginger to the pan, turn the heat on high. When the mixture begins to boil, turn the heat down to low and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes. Mix constantly to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

*I prefer my compote to be more on the tart side, but you may add more honey to desired sweetness.

Yield: 4 Cups