Louisa Shafia | Lucid Food | Ten Speed Press, 2009 | Serves 4
This strikingly colorful dessert pairs tart rhubarb with rich Greek-style yogurt and meaty pistachios. Use a light-colored honey that won’t dull the rhubarb’s bright hue. If you are using regular yogurt, start this recipe the night before so that it can strain overnight.—Louisa Shafia
convert Ingredients
4 stalks rhubarb, ends and leaves trimmed
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup light-colored honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rose water
2 cups Greek-style yogurt, or 4 cups regular yogurt, drained overnight (see Note)
1/2 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
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Directions
1. Cut the rhubarb into 1-inch pieces and place in a small saucepan with 1/4 cup water. Cover and bring to a boil, then decrease the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally. When the rhubarb starts to soften, after about 5 minutes, stir in the cardamom, nutmeg, and salt. Break up any large pieces of rhubarb with a wooden spoon. Continue to simmer, covered, until the rhubarb is completely softened, about 4 minutes more. Remove from the heat and stir in the honey and vanilla extract. Let cool.
2. Just before serving, stir the rose water into the rhubarb. Place 1/2 cup of yogurt in each bowl and top with a few tablespoons of the rhubarb. Scatter a few tablespoons of pistachios over the top.
Note: If you’re draining yogurt, you’ll need to start the night before you serve it. To convert 1 cup of regular yogurt to 1/2 cup of thick Greek-style yogurt, set a a strainer over a bowl and line it with a clean, lint-free dish towel or a coffee filter and pour in 1 cup of yogurt. Place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, discard the liquid that has accumulated in the bottom of the bowl. Scrape the thickened yogurt from the strainer into a serving bowl(s).
Recipe © 2009 Louisa Shafia. Photo © 2009 Jennifer Martiné. All rights reserved.
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Does anyone know of a good online source to purchase pistachios? I live in Fairbanks, Alaska and the ones in the bulk section are not green, they are brown and horribly stale. The ones in their shells are…well…red!
Nicole, hello from New York! Kalustyans is a great source. Allison Parker, our managing editor, lives around the corner from the store, and she loves its pistachios.
Thank you so much. I have been thinking about placing an order with them for a while anyway. I’ll just add pistachios to the list. This was very helpful.
Throw away the whey (hehe)? Nevah!
Use it in bechamel sauce, to cook your oats.
Thank you for this lovely recipe. Yogurt cheesing as I speak.
Me again. I have a very thick 4 inch diameter ‘piece’ of yogurt cheese. I’d like to serve it as a spread for crackers, but first shape it into a small mould. Have you done this? Should I oil the mould; what with?
Hi Sharon! I’ve served yogurt cheese as a spread, but I admit I haven’t shaped it with a mold. I think a very light coat of oil is a smart idea. Stick with something exceptionally mild, if not almost flavorless, such as grapeseed or sunflower or avocado or safflower oil.
Yes. I was thinking of walnut oil. Hmmm. One of my rules is I do not buy something I don’t have and haven’t used, just because of a recipe. Since this cheese of mine is quite thick, like quark or ricotta, a beautiful plate might work as well, with the pistachios finely ground and sprinkled on top. For this, no rhubarb. Anyway, what was in the stores here is not very good yet. I will try it your way in about a month. Thank you. Great to see unique suggestions here.