Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote

A favourite spring breakfast for us is a wee bowl of plain yogurt, rhubarb and strawberry compote, and a topping of gourmet granola.

Our regular yogurt is Western Plain Yogurt 2%.

Our granola is either from Bridgehead Coffeehouse or Siren Bakery.

Our rhubarb and strawberry compote is homemade, thanks to the bounty shared by dear friends, Helen and Merrill. Because we have kept the ingredient list simple, the rhubarb stands out with all the pow that emanates from this full-flavoured stalk.

I can't get enough of it.


RHUBARB AND STRAWBERRY COMPOTE
Modified from a recipe by Canadian Living

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
6 cups rhubarb, chopped
1 strip orange rind
1 cup strawberries, diced
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, optional

Heat sugar and water together in the top pot of the double boiler but directly on heat. Once it starts to boil, add the 6 cups of chopped rhubarb and stir. Then place over a double boiler pot that has water already heated. Add the orange rind and the cinnamon. Maintain a steady gentle boil with the water until the rhubarb softens. This takes about 20 minutes.

Once the rhubarb is soft and juicy, transfer the contents to a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the compote has the desired thickness. I prefer it to be pudding-like and I do not want to use a thickening agent, like flour or cornstarch. Boiling out a lot of the liquid, plus the sugar will help to thicken it. I usually simmer it for at least another 20 minutes.

Once it is to the consistency you prefer, take it off the heat, discard orange rind and add the diced strawberries. Because they are small enough, they will just cook through from the heat of the rhubarb. I like to add this bit of strawberries because it brings a beautiful red colour to the compote. Let it cool before storing it in a sealed container in the fridge.

We love this compote on plain yogurt with a sprinkle of gourmet granola. Very refreshing!