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
7 comments:
I'm pretty excited about trying something new w/ rhubarb. This may get tested on company even!!
My recollection is that, barring stupid mistakes that force you to start over, this was super simple. And you can make it ahead. Always good when entertaining!
Mom said: I have never made this as I feel the only thing rhubarb should be used for is pie. I think the recipe came from Jane Bock who sent me a whole slew of rhubarb recipes because she HATES rhubarb and had no use for such recipes. We always made rhubarb pie for Vi, who loved rhubarb.
So. Here's the deal, MK: I promise not to bring you pineapple-coconut anything if there will be rhubarb pie when I come at the end of September.
No rhubarb from Thor at Red Goose Gardens for past weeks. Eventually, I think I'll get to try it. I can always go pull some from our friends' back yard to make some.
As the recipient of much rhubarb from Oriole Lane (including some plants for the garden which no longer survives) I have to say, I only made Rhubarb Crisp, from a recipe on a card from our grad student days. I have gotten rid of most of my old cards but have saved a few for sentimental reasons in the section pockets of a loose leaf recipe file. It's simple and only has 6 sections. The biggest is "baking." SARA MITTON
Sara: I wish I had a recipe file. I'm not that organized. I sort of have some files, then some of them are just in my computer. Probably the main reason I still use my cookbooks so much is that they have indexes already!
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