Strawberry Rhubarb Compote
Here is an ingredient that highlights the Spring time in southern states. Strawberries and rhubarb are the perfect sweet and tart pair. Walking through the markets in late February and early March you'll notice bright red stalks of "celery" and an abundance of strawberries as red as they can be. Rhubarb is actually unrelated to celery, and is very bitter. Rhubarb is only available for a few short spring months!
I wanted to create something versatile, yet simple with the two. So here's my compote with a distinct strawberry sweetness, underlying tart flavor from the rhubarb, and dark color and strong body from the dry red wine. Pairs wonderfully with waffles, biscuits, pancakes, yogurt, and especially vanilla ice cream. This is a breeze to make and stores well in your fridge for up to a month.
Ingredients:
3c fresh strawberries (chopped)
2c rhubarb (chopped)
1/3c dry red wine
1/3c apple juice
1/2c sugar
2tbsp. fresh grated ginger
kosher salt
1tsp oil (peanut, canola, or vegetable works fine here)
Recipe:
In a cast iron skillet, heat your oil over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of ginger. Stir until fragrant.
Next, add two cups of strawberries and all of your rhubarb allowing them to sweat until they give off moisture, should take no longer than 3-5 minutes.
In a separate bowl mix together your wine, apple juice, and sugar. Add to the skillet and stir until combined.
Adjust your heat to a simmer, and let your mixture reduce for 30-35 minutes until no liquid runs loosely in the pan. Make sure to stir often so no sugars begin to caramelize along the edges of the skillet. Then add the last tablespoon of ginger.
Once cooled, stir in the last cup of strawberries, transfer to an air tight container and store in your fridge for no longer than a month. But it shouldn't take that long to eat it all!