I initially just set out to transcribe and email the rhubarb mousse recipe (below) for friend Miriam (who occasionally tweets about rhubarb this or that). I remember loving this and can't believe I actually came across the recipe in my files. But as my preamble to the recipe got longer and longer, I figured I'd just roll with it and put this all up as a blog post.
I don't have the info on the actual source of this recipe. It's a magazine clipping that I found about 20 years ago in the "rhubarb" section of Mom's recipe box. (Mom: There may not really be a "rhubarb" section, but I like to think there was. I know there is a "zucchini" section. Sadly, the strawberries never were so prolific that a "strawberry" section was required. And anyway, you hardly need a recipe to make the most of homegrown strawberries: wash, trim/slice, put in bowl, eat.) I think I was in college, but just barely as we still lived on Oriole Lane when I made it. How can I be so sure what kitchen I was in, you wonder? Well, I distinctly remember the stove I was cooking on because I turned my back on the gelatin-sugar mixture and ended up with some extraordinary cleanup. So I do recommend attentiveness to that step.)
Recipe is true to orig.--I've even left in the food coloring ingredient in the instructions though I'm sure I wouldn't bother. I was a bit surprised by the style of directions when I typed this up. I mean, do magazines use semi-colons in recipes nowadays?
And like most of the cards from a certain era that are in Mom's recipe box, this clipping is pasted onto a used index card from Dad's research: "Ovulation, GnRH on, in teleosts, 46-47." And yes, I looked it up: GnRH is gonadotropin-releasing hormone and teleosts are bony fishes.
So anyway, the recipe:
RHUBARB MOUSSE
Light, airy, and oh-so-scrumptious--
1/2 cup sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
2 cup rhubarb cut into 1/2-in pieces
Several drops red food coloring (optional)
3/4 cup whipping cream, whipped
Orange peel strips (optional)
In a small saucepan combine sugar and gelatin. Stir in water and finely shredded orange peel. Cook and stir over low heat till gelatin is completely dissolved. Bring to boiling; add rhubarb. Reduce heat; cover and simmer about 5 minutes or till rhubarb is tender. Cool slightly.
Pour mixture into a blender container or food processor bowl. Add red food coloring, if desired. Cover; blend or process till smooth. Pour into a bowl. Chill to the consistency of unbeaten egg whites (partially set). Fold in whipped cream. Spoon into 6 dessert dishes. Cover; chill 6 hours or till firm. If desired, top with orange peel strips. Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 179 cal., 2 g pro., 19 g carbo., 11 g fat, 41 mg chol., 14 mg sodium.
*No, that isn't an actual photo of my mom's recipe box, but it almost could be. Those "old-fashioned stove" design recipe cards must have been very popular! Photo is from http://www.flickr.com/photos/petitshoo/ / CC BY-NC 2.0
