If you were to snoop around my house, through my mess of a purse, and in the depths of my pockets, you’d find a thousand little scraps of paper covered in scribbles about things I want to cook. A few weeks ago, I jotted down one of these notes to myself with the heading “late spring/early summer”. The list ended up looking like it should simply be titled “10 things to do with rhubarb”.
Well, we tackled the first thing on the list a couple of weeks back: a batch of ginger-rhubarb swirled ice cream that was awfully good. Today, we’ll make a mostarda so we can eat our rhubarb with some savory dishes too.
Mostarda, if you’re unfamiliar, is in Italian condiment made from simmering fresh and/or dried fruits with mustard seeds, vinegar, and sugar until it reaches a thick, jammy consistency. This one is a sweet-tart mix of fresh rhubarb and dried currants with an assertive mustard pop. It’s great used as an accompaniment to cheese or cured meats and I’d be willing to bet it would be pretty spectacular with a grilled pork chop. If I have any left by the weekend, I’ll be sure to test the theory.