rhubarb tart with orange glaze

can we all agree that winter dragged on for far too long this year? in dc, we’ve been eagerly awaiting spring, but instead we skipped straight to summer – literally a 40 degree temperature change over one week. at this point, it’s easier to just accept the weather.

the only problem is, skipping over spring means less time to find delicious rhubarb. to be honest, i’d only used rhubarb one time before this, in a traditional strawberry rhubarb pie, but earlier this week i had the pleasure of guest-judging a foodie fight where the ingredients were rhubarb and coriander, so my eyes have been opened to some more creative preparation.

but i love sweets, so i had to try this tart with an orange glaze that ended up being so good, after a huge dinner and swearing we would only split a piece, it disappeared in a matter of minutes. it’s sweet without being cloying, and tempered perfectly by the puff pastry. the only drawback is that the glaze is incredibly sticky, so be careful you don’t, say, drop a piece sticky side down on yourself. i suggest enjoying this tart on your front stoop (if you’ve got one), watching the last minutes of sunlight dip below the horizon on a warm spring/summer evening. romantic, eh?

rhubarb tart with orange glaze
makes 8 servings. from Epicurious.com.

1 cup fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 lb rhubarb stalks, thinly sliced diagonally (1/8 inch)
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17 1/4-ounces package), thawed
1/2 tsp grated orange zest

1. preheat oven to 400F with rack in middle. stir together orange juice, lime juice, and sugar in a bowl. add rhubarb and let stand, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.

2. meanwhile, cut pastry in half lengthwise, then roll out each piece into an 11-by 7-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. arrange pastry rectangles side by side on an ungreased large baking sheet. make a 1/2-inch border around each pastry rectangle by lightly scoring a line parallel to each edge (do not cut all the way through). prick pastry inside border all over with a fork (also called “docking,” this helps the pastry from puffing in the middle so the filling stays in).

3. strain rhubarb mixture through a sieve set over a bowl, reserving liquid.top 1 pastry rectangle (within border) with half of rhubarb, overlapping slices slightly. repeat with remaining pastry and rhubarb. bake until pastry is puffed and golden (underside of pastry should also be golden), about 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, boil reserved rhubarb liquid in a small saucepan, skimming foam if necessary, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 15 to 18 minutes. transfer tarts to a rack. Brush rhubarb and pastry with glaze and sprinkle with zest.