Strawberry-Rhubarb Soup |
Spring
Submitted by giffen.maupin on Sat, 2009-05-23 5:3605:36:24 PM.
From Annie Wayte, Keep it Seasonal
1 pound rhubarb, trimmed and coarsely chopped
Grated zest and juice of one organge
Grated zest and juice of one lemon
1/4 c light brown sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped out
1 whole clove
1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced, reserving 6-8 whole strawberries for garnish
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar (I want to try substituting local honey from Red Tail Farm for one or both of the sugars next time)
Grated zest and juice of two limes
4 generous tablespoons buttermilk (I left this out)
Combine the rhubarb, orange and lemon zests, and orange and lemon juices in a bowl. Add the brown sugar, scrapings from the vanilla bean plus the empty pod, and clove. Stir well and set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Toss the sliced strawberries, confectioners' sugar, and lime zest and juice in another bowl. Macerate for at least two hours, stirring occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Give the rhubarb a stir and place it in a shallow 7 1/2-by-11-inch ovenproof dish. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the rhubarb is tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Remove the vanilla pod and whole clove. Set aside 1/2 cup of the baked rhubarb. Place the rest in a blender and puree until smooth.
Once the strawberries have started to release their juice, give them a good stir, place them in a blender, and puree until smooth.
Combine the two fruit purees in a mixing bowl and taste. Adjust the flavor with either sugar to sweeten or lime juice to sharpen. Chill the soup in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight. At the same time, place four soup bowls in the refrigerator to chill.
Divide the soup among the chilled bowls. Garnish with the reserved rhubarb and whole strawberries. Swirl with a spoonful of buttermilk over the soup.