Roasted Rhubarb Custard

 

It’s rhubarb time! This year the stalks have been looking so thin that I was wary to harvest. Why was my rhubarb was so spindly? Lots of stalks, but all of them are skinny and spindly, not huge and robust as they have been in the past. When I look it up there are two competing ideas on this–either the plant has too little food or that it needs to be divided. I’ve had these plants over five years, and I have divided them. So could it be that they need some food? I plan to give them the rest of last year’s compost, and we’ll see what happens. In the meantime, I harvested a small bunch. I’m the only rhubarb lover in the house so what to make would be my decision entirely. My favorite is rhubarb custard pie, but I was feeling lazy about making a pie crust. A light bulb went off above my head: why not just make the custard? And so here it is: simple and luscious, served with mascarpone it makes an elegant dessert, and served with some thick freshly-drained yogurt it makes a perfect breakfast. You may eat it throughout the day. I did!

Roasted Rhubarb Custard

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a glass dish. I mean generously!

1 pound of rhubarb

2 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

Cut the rhubarb how you see fit. Arrange it artfully in the prepared glass pan. Beat the eggs, sugar and salt until foamy and bright yellow. Pour this mixture over the arranged rhubarb. Bake until set, about 15 to 20 minutes. It will puff up and be golden. If you forget about it, and let it go too long, the custard will separate. It’ll still taste good though! (That’s what happened to me!)