One of the funniest (albeit most excruciating) things I’ve ever seen was a videotaped appearance of a cookbook author making a rhubarb pie on a live morning television show. Just as the cameras began rolling, the cocky, self-assured host looked at his guest and blurted out, “I hate rhubarb. I mean, I really hate it.” The poor dear continued to make her rhubarb pie, but it was easy to see that his constant grousing was taking its toll on her as she baked, bantered, and defended her delicious-looking pie for a few painful on-air minutes. If it were me, I would have taken a different approach. With the cameras rolling, I would have ordered him out of the studio and pulled another person into the kitchen who looked forward to the first rhubarb in the spring with the same anticipation that I do. Look for stalks that are bright red, which will make the most enticingly colored sorbet. The flavor of the gently stewed ruhubarb with fresh strawberries will remind you why this combination is so beloved by almost everyone, including me.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

　　12 ounces (325 g) rhubarb

　　2/3 cup (160 ml) water

　　3/4 cup (150 g) sugar

　　10 ounces (280 g) fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

　　

Step 1

Wash the rhubarb stalks and trim the stem and leaf ends. Cut the rhubarb into 1/2-inch (2-cm) pieces.

　　

Step 2

Place the rhubarb, water, and sugar in a medium, nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the rhubarb is tender and cooked through. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

　　

Step 3

Slice the strawberries and purée them with the cooked rhubarb mixture and lemon juice in a blender or food processor until smooth.

　　

Step 4

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

　　

Perfect Pairing

Step 5

To make a lovely Red Wine–Poached Rhubarb Compote that goes beautifully with this sorbet, use cookbook author Susan Loomis’s recipe: for 6 servings, cut 1 pound (450 g) rhubarb into green bean–sized strips. In a nonreactive saucepan, combine 2 cups (500 ml) red wine, 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 cinnamon stick, and a pinch of ground cloves. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the wine is reduced by about one-third. Serve a scoop of Strawberry-Rhubarb Sorbet in the middle.

　　The Perfect Scoop