Early Grey Rhubarb Sorbet

Oh, rhubarb. I could write a sonnet to your vibrant ruby stalks and lively taste.  I adore you.

I love rhubarb and I love tea (if you know me at all, you know this). And one of my best ideas ever? Combine them!

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Rhubarb has been celebrated on a lot of foodie blogs so I was hesitant to share a rhubarb recipe here (I tarried between this and a crisp, sauce, and other desserts) but I think you'll love this one. There is a reason everyone else is sharing their recipes - rhubarb is versatile, delicious, and currently ripe. You can find rhubarb showcasing on the internet - raw in a salad from My New Roots, layered in buckwheat rhubarb scones, and even whipped into a barbeque sauce from Edible Perspective.

Rhubarb is such an interesting plant. Normally considered a vegetable, it is largely considered a fruit in the United States, particularly in regards to tariff. It's leaves are poisonous but the stalks are more than edible - their delicious. The stalks can be eaten raw or cooked, which brings out its sweeter notes. An excellent source of Vitamin C, rhubarb also contains some calcium and Vitamin K. It is also high in dietary fiber - in some past cultures, it's even been used as a laxative (although no concern for a normal serving).

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Rhubarb makes a delicious debut in this late spring, early summer dessert, pairing sublimely well with Earl Grey tea. Earl Grey is a rich black tea scented with Bergamot, a citrus. It's rich yet easily drinkable and lively with orange flower notes. Bergamot from the Earl Grey tea gives this sorbet a tasty floral note while the black tea deepens the flavor. And the Rhubarb mixed with honey is tangy and sweet. Perfect for a frozen treat!

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I used Earl Grey from Red Blossom Tea Company, a beautiful and somewhat mod little tea shop in San Francisco. Lucky for anyone, they sell their tea online! (After poking around on their site, I realized the Earl Grey is nowhere to be found - am I missing something? Perhaps they don't sell it anymore or don't sell it online. If you would love a lovely organic Earl Grey tea, try Mountain Rose Herbs).

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Don't let the long-looking directions fool you! With only five ingredients (including water), this sorbet is worth the three part ice cream process - macerate, let cool, and blend. The most time you'll spend is probably washing and chopping the rhubarb.

Earl Grey Rhubarb Sorbet
4-5 cups chopped rhubarb
1 cup water
1/3-1/2 cup honey
1/2 vanilla bean
1 TB loose leaf Earl Grey Tea*

Also will need a small muslin bag (available on Mountain Rose Herbs and amazon).

1. Slice half of vanilla bean lengthwise and using flat edge of knife, scrape out seeds of vanilla bean. 2. Add vanilla seeds, empty pod, chopped rhubarb, water and honey (start with 1/3 cup) to a medium saucepot. Boil then simmer 5-8 minutes until rhubarb seems softer. (Taste if extra honey is needed - greener rhubarb will be less sweet so may need more honey).
3. Add a muslin bag of the loose leaf Earl Grey Tea to the simmering pot of rhubarb. Let simmer five more minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Taste the base again. It is your choice to remove the earl grey tea (if it's flavor is pronounced enough for you) or to let it infuse longer for stronger flavor (don't let it sit too long because black tea has some very strong tannins and can be bitter if infused too long).
5. Let cool (about 4 hours over overnight in fridge). Remove vanilla pod and blend in a blender or with an immersion blender (I used my Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender) until smooth.
6. Put in ice cream machine maker (I have Cuisinart Automatic 1-1/2-Quart Ice Cream Maker, White) and use according to manufacturer's directions. Serve! And freeze remainder!

Note: Alternatively, you can pour into popsicle molds and freeze. Or instead of Step #5, freeze the base in large ice cube trays and blend in high speed blender to make ice cream.

*Because we are using black tea, this sorbet will contain caffeine. I used Earl Grey from Red Blossom Tea Company. It's also available on Mountain Rose Herbs, as is vanilla beans, although I bought my vanilla from amazon .

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Also GF Girl's post on Food52 reminded me that Food 52 is opening a new store Provisions. You can sign up now for a $10 credit to use on your first purchase. I can't wait to see what they have!

And if you're looking for a last minute Father's Day gift or a treat for yourself, check out this great magazine deal on Amazon.

Amazon: Purchase a Select Magazine for $5 or less and get a $5 credit

I love magazines so when I saw this dealI just had to share: 

Get a magazine like EatingWell, Field & Streamor Outdoor Lifefor $5 and receive a $5 credit added to your Amazon account within two weeks. Making the magazine essentially free!

I love cooking magazines and they provide a lot of inspiration for this blog so I know I'll be ordering the EatingWell (it's not gluten and dairy free but I do a lot of my own conversions). But if you have a man in your life who likes fishing and hunting, Field & Streamwould be a great Father's Day gift (which is this weekend)!

Just go on over to this page to select your magazine and checkout! Happy reading! Best enjoyed outside with a cup of fresh juice or tea in hand.

Stay tuned for a recipe later on today!

 

 

On a side note, these magazines will selected for one year auto renewal so once purchased, you can cancel anytime in your magazine subscription manager.

Also any purchase made through these links helps support Sweet Roots. Thank your for your love and interest!

Homemade Vegan Butter with Radishes and Toast (Lecithin, Soy, Nut, Gluten and Dairy Free) + the Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg

The realization that one can make homemade vegan butter is jaw-dropping. No more plastic tubs. No more unpronounceable ingredients. The future is no longer bleak... Exaggeration? Possibly. I'm prone to dramatization. But we're talking truths here. Vegan Butter - although a bit of an oxymoron - is possible and attainable in your own home. And for dairy-free and vegans everywhere, that is a brighter future.

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Most recipes for vegan butter use a lecithin and a gum. I'm sensitive to gums so I tend to avoid those and I wanted to use things I already have in my pantry (and if you've made my coconut milk cheddar, you will too). I've had vegan butter on my To-Do List for quite some time but I didn't get the gumption until I read the Books for Broads March & April book pick:

This radish toast recipe was inspired by  A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg. She blogs over at Orangette. Her beautiful stories and witty food humor were incredibly enjoyable. Although not dairy or gluten free, the recipes were elegantly simple, mouth-watering, and inspiring. And that's ultimately what I look for in any book - Inspiration. Parisian romance is a plus.

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Homemade Vegan Butter (nut, lecithin, gum, soy dairy, and gluten free)
1 cup coconut oil *
3 tsp agar agar powder (avilable on amazon)
1/2 cup coconut milk (plain and unsweetened - almond also works well)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

3 TB grapeseed oil
1/2 tsp salt

*If you don't like the coconut oil taste use Refined Organic Coconut Oil which doesn't have the coconut-y flavor that extra virgin or unrefined does.

1. Put coconut oil and agar agar powder on medium heat in small saucepan until it starts to have a rolling boil. Remove from heat and let cool five minutes.
2. Meanwhile add apple cider vinegar to coconut milk.
3. Pour all ingredients in a food processor or vita mix. Blend two minutes or until completely incorporated. Put in fridge (or freezer for quick solidity).

To make the Radish Toasts:
Vegan Butter (Recipe above)
Black Pepper or Favorite Flaky Sea Salt
2 Bunches of Radishes
Gluten-free Toast (I used Udi's Gluten-Free Whole Grain Bread) but it would also be delicious on one of my favorite recipes from the talented Sarah Britton from My New Roots - this sprouted and leaven-free life-changing loaf.

Toast bread slices, top with butter, radish slices, and flaky sea salt or cracked black pepper.

Enjoy!

Question of the Day: What do you plan to do with your vegan butter?

*Just a note, I've not attempted baking with this vegan butter but as soon as I do, I will let you all know how it turns out!

Vegan Mother's Day Brunch (dairy, gluten and egg free)

To mothers everywhere....
We appreciate you.
We love you.
We cherish you.
We adore you.
Treasure you.

And we want you to have a wonderful, relaxing day where you know we appreciate all those times you swiped our dirty noses, woke with us in the middle of the night, filled our bellies with hearty, nutritious foods (and we appreciate those nights where you broke down and let us eat hot dog mac & cheese), and most of all, we appreciate you encouraged our hearts.

YOU are special.
YOU are unique.

And we want to take this day to celebrate you, MOM!

And this Mother's Day celebrate Mom with an easy yet nutritious and tasty lunch.

What's on the menu, you ask?
Sparkling Lemon Hibiscus Tea
Quinoa and Arugula Salad with Roasted Lemon and Asparagus
and Vegan Lemon Mousse with Vanilla and Cardamom

Most of the prep can be done ahead so Mother's Day can be relaxing and easy. Great for mothers with toddlers who want something special but not a lot of time.

 

 

Sparkling Lemon Hibiscus Tea
1/3 heaping cup Hibiscus petals (I buy from Mountain Rose Herbs)
2 cups water
Sparkling Water or Lemon Sparkling Water (I used Pellegrino)
Limoncello *for virgin version, use notes below

*Juice of 2 Lemons with 2 Tb agave

1. Boil water and hibiscus petals then simmer for 15 minutes. Let cool.
2. Fill glasses with 2 parts sparkling water, 2 parts strained hibiscus infusion, and 1 part limoncello

Quinoa and Arugula Salad with Roasted Asparagus and Lemon (serves 2)

1 cup pre-cooked quinoa
1/2 cup pecans (or other nuts/seeds)
2-3 organic lemons, sliced 1/4"-1/3" thick
1 lb asparagus
Handful of craisins and goji berries
Dress with extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, and red pepper and salt

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Toss asparagus with oil and spread out with lemon slices on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through. Add pecans and bake another 3 minutes.
3. Layer plates with arugula, quinoa, pecans, asparagus, lemons, and dried craisins and goji berries. Sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and red pepper (or black).

*Steps 1 & 2 can be done ahead of time and are delicious served cold if prepping beforehand.

 

 

 

 

I just love cardamom and I think it really makes this mousse have a little more pizzazz. If unfamiliar with this spice, try using the seeds from three pods. Cardamom and vanilla bean pods are available to order from Mountain Rose Herbs.

 

This mousse also happens to dole out a nice size of protein, making it all the more appealing as a dessert... or maybe for breakfast by itself.

 

Vegan Lemon Mousse with Vanilla and Cardamom (serves 2-4)

 

14 oz package extra firm tofu

Juice of 2 Lemons

Gratings of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup agave nectar

4 cardamom pods *  (available from Mountain Rose Herbs)

Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean (I purchase my vanilla from amazon)

Assorted Fruit of Choice

2 TB tapioca starch

 

*If you don't have cardamom pods or don't like them, it still tastes delicious without.

 

1. Crush cardamom pods with flat blade of knife. In mortar and pestle, crush the seeds from pods.

2. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend til smooth.

3. Refridgerate until ready to serve. Serve with fresh fruit like sliced banana, strawberries, and mango.

Enjoy!

 

I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day! What are your plans for this weekend?

 



I buy my herbs from