Rhubarb and Roses on my Mind

This week my rose garden came to life in an explosion of color. The first buds appeared on one of my favorites, a sweet, old-fashioned floribunda with an ugly name: Gruss an Aachen. Apparently it is German for “Greetings from Aachen,” a medieval city on the German-Belgian border also known by its French name, Aix-la-Chapelle. I would have preferred, had they asked me when they first introduced this rose in the early 1900s, to call this beauty by its melodious French name but nobody bothered to consult me.

Anyway, I have two of these planted right outside my bathroom window, in the dappled shade of an olive tree, and they are really spectacular. 

From bud to full bloom in about a week

While admiring my roses, a note from a newly discovered cousin in Devon, England – also an enthusiastic gardener – who had recently wowed her family by making a fresh Rhubarb Fool for dessert, made me remember a recipe from Gourmet magazine I’d used years ago that combined rhubarb, strawberries and rosewater. And that’s how this all comes together.

I don’t use this recipe any more because I no longer own an ice cream maker, but if you do, it’s a sophisticated dessert that is also very healthy, great for impressing guests.

Roasted Rhubarb with Rosewater and Strawberry Sorbet

For the Sorbet:

¾ Cup water

½ Cup sugar

2 1-pound packages of frozen whole strawberries (not in syrup), thawed

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Cook water and sugar in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool the syrup completely.

Puree the strawberries with syrup in a food processor until smooth, then force through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and stir in the lemon juice. If the mixture isn’t already cold, chill by putting the bowl in an ice bath and stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes.

Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker, then transfer to an airtight container and put in the freezer to harden, at least 3 hours. While this is freezing, cook the rhubarb.

For the Rhubarb:

¾ Cup sugar

1 ½ Teaspoons flour (or potato starch, if you want gluten-free)

1 ½ Pounds rhubarb stalks, cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces

¾ Teaspoon rosewater (found in Middle Eastern or Indian markets)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F with the rack in the middle position.

Whisk together the sugar and flour in a 13 x 9-inch shallow baking dish. Add the rhubarb and toss to coat. Roast until the rhubarb is just tender but not falling apart, about 20-25 minutes.

Cool to warm, about 30 minutes, then sprinkle the rosewater over the rhubarb. Serve the rhubarb and its juices with the strawberry sorbet.

Serves 6.