Rhubarb ~ Strawberry Compote over Grilled Peaches

Rhubarb compote, made with our without strawberries, is a childhood favorite of mine. The smell of this dish is so lovely, it will make your mouth water! Growing up we used sugar to make it. In this recipe here I used honey instead and added ginger zest to my original recipe. If you find that the compote is too tart for your taste, you can always add sugar or maple syrup later.

You can serve this compote over grilled peaches as a delightful summer dessert, have it with plain yogurt, over pancakes or over your oatmeal for breakfast! Yum!

Ingredients for Compote:

• 1 pound of rhubarb, cut into half inch chunks
• 1/2 pound of strawberries, quartered
• 1/4 cup of honey
• Juice from one lemon

  

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon of freshly zested ginger (optional)

Preparation:

1. Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan (rhubarb is acidic!) such as a Le Creuset.
2. Simmer over low heat for 8-10 minutes, until rhubarb is just starting to fall apart and strawberries are tender but not mushy.
3. Chill in the fridge.

Ingredients for Grilled Peaches:

• Firm peaches
• An oil with a light flavor, olive oil will work, but only if it does not taste too strong

Preparation:

1. Cut peaches in half, remove pit
2. Brush lightly on both sides with oil to avoid sticking to grill
3. Grill over medium to light heat on a grill or grilling pan - cover while grilling - about 3 minutes on each side

Note: I move the peaches a bit about 30 seconds after placing them on the grill to avoid having them get stuck.

Other uses for grilled peaches: in salads and with chicken.

Summer Veggie Salad: Golden Beets, Broccoli, Peach, Walnuts & Olives

On hot days, like the ones we are having now (103 degrees where I live yesterday!), all I want for dinner is a nice cold vegetables salad with something like grilled chicken, seafood or tofu. I came up with this version for last night's dinner and it came out great.

Ingredients:

• 4 golden beets
• 2 medium heads of broccoli
• 2 medium peaches
• 1/4 cup olives
• 1/4 cup of walnuts
• 1 tablespoon of apples cider vinegar
• Juice from one lemon
• 1-2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Serves four.

Preparation:

1. Boil beets fro 30 to 40 minutes, until tender
2. Place them in a bowl with cold water and slide the outer skin off them, it will come of very easily.
3. Cut beets into thin rounds, place in bowl and drizzle with apple cider vinegar and lemon juice while hot. Place them in the fridge to chill.
4. Cut broccoli into small crown pieces, steam until tender, place in fridge to chill.
5. Let the veggies chill for 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Cut peaches in to bite size chunks
7. Gently mix broccoli, beets, peaches, walnuts and olives.
8. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper.

Note: drizzling hot beets with vinegar and lemon juice makes them taste less earthy and sweeter. As a result even people who usually dislike beets find them tasty.