Asparagus, Radish, and Potato Food Pile

Just last week, our pal Sarah taught us about the food pile. And here is my first apprenticing stab at it. I strayed from the formula slightly by not incorporating goat cheese. Manchego, though, is just lovely here. Even without cheese of any kind this would be a delicious hot salad (the name Sarah gives to the subvariety of food piles which lack tofu). Why is this so simple and yet so delicious? Because roasting is a freaking superior way to prepare vegetables.

1 russet potato, cut into fingers
5 large radishes, quartered or sixthed
1 bunch asparagus, cut in half or in thirds crosswise
[the idea here is to get all the vegetables to be roughly the same size]
olive oil
salt + pepper
lemon juice
manchego cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Toss the vegetables with some olive oil, salt, and pepper in a roasting pan or two. Try to get the vegetables into a single layer in the pan.

Roast these for 20 minutes or so, until the asparagus is charring.

Drizzle with a little lemon juice. Shave* some manchego on top and call it a food pile well made.

*For some reason, I was always convinced I didn't have the tool/s needed to shave hard cheeses. But I did. All it takes is a vegetable peeler. Not sure why it took me this long to figure that out.

Puff Pastry Rhubarb Tart with a Citrus Glaze

Uh, yeah. Another tart. I made a lot of sweets last weekend. This one for a lovely dinner party with my friend and colleague, and her family.

I actually made two of these. The first one got most of the fruit, but the second one got photographed. So, just imagine a more densely, rhubarbly populated tart and you'll get a prettier mental picture. Although there's something strangely attractive about how the fruit on this one looks rather like bacon from a distance. Read into that as you like.

I bookmarked this recipe last year, but only just got around to making it. I'm glad I did because it's poised to become a springtime classic. It's straightforward. It's simple. The citrus glaze is perfect--Perfect!--with the rhubarb.

And you can take this technique and slap it on basically any kind of fruit. There's a bakery in Hyde Park that sells all sorts of puff pastry fruit tarts and they're all the same, and all the delicious. Puff pastry, fruit, glaze of some sort. That's the magic mix.

Find the recipe here.

PS. This is great with ice cream for dessert. And great with coffee for breakfast.
PPS. Make your own puff pastry!

A Bit of Business

Since it's summer now, I'm transitioning to a gentler posting schedule. I'll try to post three times a week, and hope to feature some guest posts, but probably won't run one every week. (Though, if you are interested in guest posting, let me know in in the comments!)

Enjoy the summer, pals.

Apple Cinnamon Tart

I baked this tart for our neighbor who did us a favor last week. Take note: favors to me repay in pie.

1 stick cold unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon sugar
about 4 tablespoons ice water

7 golden delicious apples
lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Pulse together the flour, butter, salt, and sugar in a food processor until most of mixture resembles coarse meal, with rest in small (pea-sized) lumps. Add ice water as you continue to pulse, until the dough begins to come together but it still a bit crumbly. The dough should hold together if you squeeze it in your hand. It should not be gummy.

Turn the mixture out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Quickly form it into a disk, wrap tightly with the plastic, and refrigerate for one hour. If you're short of time, you can freeze this for half an hour, but I find that it's more difficult to work with when I take that route.

Preheat your oven to 375° F.

Peel, core, and quarter your apples. Place these in a large mixing bowl and toss with a squirt of lemon to slow browning.

Chop four of the apples roughly and place them in a sauce pan with a little water and the cinnamon. Cook over low heat until the apples begin to break down. Not all apples will turn to a sauce as they break down, so test them as they are cooking and mash them once they're soft enough. Allow this compote to cool.

Slice the remaining apples very thinly. A mandoline will help here. Toss again to coat with lemon juice and set aside.

After the dough has rested, unwrap it on a clean, floured counter. Sprinkle the top of the dough and your rolling pin with flour. Quickly, but carefully, roll out the dough. Give it a quarter turn after each roll. If the dough starts to stick, carefully pick it up (a bench scraper is a great tool for this) and sprinkle more flour beneath it.

When the dough is about 1-2 inches greater in diameter than your pie plate, fold it lightly in half, then in half again. You should have a triangular shape. Place the tip of the triangle in the middle of your pie plate, then unfold. Press the dough down into the pan, starting in the middle. Trim off excess, and decoratively pinch the edges. If the crust is getting soft, stick the pie plate in the freezer for a few minutes. Prick the dough all over with a fork (this is called "docking").

Spread the cooled apple compote onto the pie dough, then arrange the sliced apples on top. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Cool on a rack.

When the pie is finished baking, you can glaze it with a little apricot jam, thinned with some water, and heated a bit in a sauce pan. I only had raspberry jam, so I skipped this step.

Flour Tortillas II/Crimini Fajitas

On my last tortilla-making foray, I leavened. This time, I forwent the leavening and was really pleased with the result. These tortillas were less pillowy-billowy than their baking soda-ed kin. They were denser, more elastic, flatter. Flatter? Flattering.

I can't decide which version I like better. It seems like these, if rolled out larger than I do here, would better suit a burrito. And I might use the fluffier ones for tacos or, actually, fajitas.

Either way, you must make tortillas. They are dead-easy and so crazy-delicious. Also delicious: this garlicky fajita filling made with the Prickly Pear in mind. (Oh, college!)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
5 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1/2 cup warm water

Whisk together the flour and salt, then stir in the grapeseed oil. When the oil is dispersed, stir in the water until a dough begins to come together. Knead into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and let sit for 30 minutes to one hour.

Cut the dough into 10 or so pieces and roll each out as thin as you can. Tortillas should be about 8 inches in diameter. Cook on a hot, dry griddle, flipping once, until browning on both sides.

Stack tortillas on a plate, covered with a clean kitchen towel.

1-2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 green pepper, cut lengthwise into strips
1/2 large onion, cut lengthwise into strips
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
4 cups sliced crimini mushrooms

cilantro
radishes
avocado
sour cream
ricotta
hot sauce

Heat the grapeseed oil in a wok over highish heat. Add the green pepper and onion and cook until just beginning to brown around the edges. Add the remaining ingredients, sprinkle with a little salt, and toss. Cook until the mushrooms are just softened, 5 minutes or so.

Serve in the tortillas with rice and garnishes as suggested above, or as you like.

Guest Post: Food Pile No. 1

Happily for us, our old pal Sarah is back and bringing us this Bears-hydrated food pile guest post. Food pile: it is what it sounds like, and it is wonderful. We needed a term for this, no? Well thanks to Sarah, we have one.

I want to eat piles and piles of food piles. Pile them on.

PS. What is this freezing/thawing tofu technique she mentions? We must know.


When I first moved to Chicago three years ago, I had just learned how to not burn scrambled eggs. Needless to say, I was a cooking novice. One of the first cooking techniques my friend Mollie taught me was the magic of roasting. "You can roast anything, and as long as you put goat cheese on top, it will taste good," I remember her telling me. I've been experimenting with the roasted dinner ever since and I want to share my favorite food pile with you.

Food Pile No. 1

tofu, frozen then thawed (Have you heard about this? I will never go back).
olive oil as needed
1 beet, chopped
1 small sweet potato, chopped
a few kale leaves, removed from the stems and chopped
soyaki (I buy this marinade from Trader Joes, but you can also mix soy sauce with sesame oil)
goat cheese
sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut off 1/3 slab of the tofu brick and return the rest in water to the fridge. Marinate the tofu in the soyaki as you chop the other vegetables. Toss the beet and sweet potato in olive oil and desired spices. I'm a huge fan of red pepper flakes.

Once the oven is preheated, spread the beet, sweet potato, and tofu out on a lined cookie sheet and roast for 45 minutes, turning the tofu 3 times and shifting the vegetables so that they don't brown too much on one side. After about 30 of those minutes, get your kale ready. Drizzle the tiniest bit of olive oil on the kale and massage it into the leaves. Spread the kale out evenly on another cookie sheet and roast for about 10 minutes. The edges of the kale leaves should come out crispy, but be careful not to burn them.

Once everything is tender, put the kale, sweet potato, beets and tofu on a plate and top with goat cheese and sesame seeds. Put on your favorite record and enjoy that pile.

Quinoa with Cannellini Beans and Baby Arugula

For a pizza party last weekend, I bought a whole ton of baby arugula. I tossed (and loved) it on top of a garlic and fresh mozzarella white pizza. And have spent the days since thinking about how I could prepare these delicate, peppery leaves again, and as deliciously.

This dish: it does that. It's the springtime version of the greens+protein+grains combination I couldn't get enough of this winter. It's light. It's hearty. It's vegan. It's pretty much perfect.

1/2 medium onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup quinoa
salt and red pepper flakes
1 1/2 - 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 (14 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups baby arugula

Sweat the onion and garlic in the olive oil over low heat until softened.

Once the aromatics have softened, turn the heat up to medium and add the quinoa. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt (remember the broth will add more) and a 1/2 teaspoon (or to taste) of the red pepper flakes, then stir so the quinoa can toast and absorb the flavors of the garlic and onion. After a few minutes, add 1 1/2 cups of the broth, then turn the heat back down to low. Cook, covered, for about 15 minutes.

If after the fifteen minutes, the quinoa is still a bit crunchy, add a little more broth as needed and continue cooking for an additional five minutes or so.

When the quinoa is done, stir in the cannellini beans and cook until warmed through. Serve with a handful of fresh baby arugula.

Serves 4.

Huffington Hunting

I'm writing for the Huffington Post again this week, about the super fun time I had morel hunting the other weekend. A commenter there told me not to stop with morels. And I don't think I ought to. Time to study some fungi and head back out into the forest.

Ramp Olive Oil Quick Bread

Unlike many quick breads, this is vegan. It results in a nicely crisped crust and a biscuity crumb. Best eaten day-of. I happened to find a bunch of ramps in the woods the other weekend. But if you don't have them, shallots would be super here.

3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup warm water
3-5 ramps, depending on how big they are, minced

Preheat your oven to 375° F and grease an 8 or 9 inch square pan with a little extra olive oil.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. With the machine running, add the olive oil, then the water. Process until the dough comes together.

Turn this out onto a clean, floured work surface and knead in the ramps.

Press the dough into the baking pan, pushing it into the edges. Flip it over and do the same. Bake, covered for about 20 minutes. Remove covering, sprinkle the top with salt, and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

[Adapted from]

AB&J

So, the Hopleaf has this sandwich. The CB&J. Cashew butter, fig jam, and Morbier cheese. Pan fried. Served with Stilton mac & cheese and house-made potato chips. This meal is the buttered steak and cream cheese mashed potatoes of vegetarian eating. It's rich. And the other day, I felt like making it at home. Slightly varied, of course. Slightly-slightly healthier, maybe. (Though, health isn't really boasted by the all-brown palette of the photo above.)

I chose Manchego cheese here because I like it with figs, but it doesn't really melt. I knew that going in, but didn't anticipate that it would not just not melt, but kind of harden. The flavor was fine, but I'd go with a different cheese next time.

Make the sandwich with:

almond butter
[not Manchego] cheese
fig jam
crusty bread

Grill this with lots of butter.

Instead of mac & cheese and potato chips, I made fries using this method. It calls for a long slow cook, for putting the potatoes into cold oil and slowly, barely raising the heat until cooked through. This took me about 45 minutes. And, friends!, these fries were so, SO crispy. I could not get over it. They were the crispiest french fries I've ever had. So crispy that I regretted slicing them so thinly because they were practically 100% crisp.

Guest Post: Onion Galette with Mustard Cream

Just when we started to expect sweet treats, Sabra, our favorite baker from Madison, brings us this savory galette. I love a savory pie, and onions even more. Can't wait to try this.


Sometimes the purpose of cooking is to impress. This is one of those dishes – assuming, of course, that the recipient likes onions and mustard. Luckily for me, I chose the right person to cook for! This recipe is a departure from my usual desserts, but not too far. Think free-form savory pie crossed with quiche. The result is a richly delicious tart that must be savored slowly, with the eyes closed. Mmmm. The recipe comes from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone – my current favorite cookbook that I can’t seem to get enough of.

Onion Galette with Mustard Cream

Galette Dough (see recipe below)
3 TBS butter
6 cups thinly sliced yellow onion
1 TBS chopped fresh thyme
½ cup dry white wine (I used the cheapest Chardonnay I could find)
Salt and freshly milled pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 TBS Dijon mustard
¼ cup cream
½ cup fresh bread crumbs
¼ cup grated pecorino Romano or Parmesan

Make the dough and refrigerate until ready. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix mustard and cream in a small bowl until combined. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally until they soften and turn golden, about 15 minutes. (Note: fresh thyme is a must! I can’t imagine making this recipe without the pungent flavor of the thyme complimenting the onions). Add the wine to the onions and cook until reduced. Season with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, combine all but 2 TBS of the beaten egg with the mustard and cream mixture. Stir in the sautéed onions, bread crumbs, and cheese. Roll the dough into a 14-inch circle. (Note: when working with pastry dough, it works best when it is very cold. I also recommend rolling out the dough onto a piece of parchment paper that you can transfer directly to a pan for baking). Spread the onion mixture on the dough, leaving a 2 to 3 inch edge. Fold the dough over the onion mixture and brush with the reserved egg. The center will be very wet, but it will firm up when it is baking, and the high temperature of the oven will prevent it from becoming soggy. Bake the galette until shiny and golden, about 25 minutes.

Galette Dough

2 cups all-purpose or whole-wheat flour (I used 1½ cup all-purpose and ½ cup whole-wheat)
½ tsp salt
12 TBS cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 to ¼ cup ice water, as needed

The easiest way to make this dough is using a food processor, but you could also make it by hand, using a pastry cutter. If using a food processor, put the flour and salt in the food processor and pulse until combined. Add the pieces of butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle the ice water over the top and pulse until the dough begins to come together, and away from the sides of the food processor. Be careful not to over-mix. Bring the dough together into a ball, and press it into a disk. Wrap the disk in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Linguine with Roasted Garlic and Roasted Tomatoes

God. Roasting makes everything better. Seriously. I would roast my first born child. Not really. But as vegetable cooking goes, roasting is tops. In this case, the garlic mellows, becomes velvety and smooth. And the tomatoes caramelize, they deepen and sweeten.

This is another pantry meal. I guess I've got a theme going. A theme of awesome pantry (&leftover) eating.

1 bulb garlic
2 (28 ounce) cans whole plum tomatoes, drained and sliced lengthwise
olive oil
salt
pepper
1/2 pound(ish) linguine

Preheat your oven to 375° F.

Remove as much paper from your garlic as possible, then carefully cut the tips off each clove to expose the garlic. Brush the bulb with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and place in a small roasting dish. Cover that dish with foil.

In a separate, larger roasting dish, lay each tomato cut side down, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. No need to cover this one.

Place both dishes in the oven and roast for 50 minutes or so, until the garlic is soft and the tomatoes are shrunken and deeper red.

Meanwhile, put on a pot of water to boil and boil the linguine until al dente.

When the garlic and tomatoes have finished roasting, mash the cooked cloves with the tomatoes in a large serving bowl*. With tongs, add the pasta and toss to coat well. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, season with salt, and garnish with shredded romano (if you wish) and chopped fresh parsley. If too dry, add some pasta water and toss.

*You'll see from the picture that I didn't mash the tomatoes initially. I should have.

Cava

When I lived in Spain, I enjoyed a lot of cava. And when I drink it now, I'm mostly toasting to nostalgia. Street drinking, I remember you.

The New York Times' Eric Asimov seems to have had a similar relationship to the sparkling wine but, unlike me, actually went and taste-tested a few bottles. And found some good ones.

Nostalgia without a trip through headaches past! Read the article to see what he recommends.

[photo]

Herb Strata with Ramps and Gruyere

Just around the corner from home, Swim Cafe makes and sells some terrific stratas. I've been eating/loving them for a few months, and finally made my own last week.

If you've never eaten a strata, you really ought to. It's essentially a savory bread pudding. And, like I was saying last week re: polenta, a strata will make a great home for the near-wilted vegetable medley surely sitting now in your crisper. I put this recipe together the other night based on what I had laying around. I encourage you to do the same, but differently. Ramps are awesome here, but if you don't have any, try another aromatic. Change the cheese, try spinach or tomatoes, etc.

1/2 pound stale bread, cut roughly into 1/2 inch pieces
4 ramps, fairly finely chopped
3/4 cup grated gruyere
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh arugula
2 cups milk
4 large eggs
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Layer half the bread in the bottom of a 2 quart baking dish. Combine the ramps and herbs then spread half of this mixture over the bread crumbs. Top with half the cheese. Repeat layers.

Whisk together the milk and eggs with a good amount of salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over the bread crumbs and herbs. Bake until slightly puffed up and golden brown, about 40-50 minutes. Let rest on the counter for 10 minutes prior to serving.

serves 4-6

[Adapted from]

Cauliflower Yia Yia

At Lula there is Pasta Yia Yia. Bucatini with moroccan cinnamon, feta, garlic, and browned butter.

It is perfect restaurant food. But at home, I have a [slight] need for vegetables. Something lacking from that buttered pasta, unless you count fried garlic. And honestly, some days, I might. Like Reagan, I can occasionally get lazy about health.

Thankfully, there's no need to loosen our standards in this case. Cauliflower is great here. Really great here. Initially, I thought of it because it shares a shade (or lack of one) with the pasta. Though then I went and bought this purple variety. Anyway, cauliflower goes great with the cinnamon, garlic, feta, and butter. I love savory cinnamon.

1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
6 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon cinnamon
salt
1 tablespoon feta per serving

Preheat your oven to 425° F.

Combine the cauliflower and garlic in a medium-sized roasting pan. Toss with olive oil, then with the butter pieces. Sprinkle with cinnamon and salt to taste. Toss once more to integrate all.

Roast until the cauliflower is tender but still slightly crisp, about 20 minutes. Serve over rice (or pasta...) with crumbled feta.

nb. I love roasted cauliflower, but that method does lend a drier final dish. If you wanted a saucier dish, try sauteing all this together. And using more butter!

Guest Post: Bagel Burger

We're so lucky that, today, Simon (of the Simon & Sara penned Weird Baby) is here to bring us this beautifully photographed cooking for one post. When I saw his bachelor burrito post on the Weird Baby Blog, I was instantly charmed. It was precise, but not presentational. A rare look into an honest for-one meal.

Like Simon, I generally find cooking alone pretty dull. So dull that I almost never share with you what I make for myself-only (which is less meal than a strange stream of snacks). But let's shine some light on the foods we eat alone. Be sure to check out that burrito post linked-to above and see also this newish release. Tell us in the comments what you eat when you eat alone!


There is nothing fun about cooking alone. When I was single, the act of absorbing nutrients was a herculean effort. Even now, when my wife goes out of town, the idea of food preparation becomes hellishly dull and complicated.

Thus: the bagel burger. Who keeps burger buns around? No one. The bagel is not just convenient, though. It is tasty, stays warmer longer than a bun, and adds necessary carb density to your meal.

For this dish, you will need to wash one medium-sized plate and a knife that can both cut cheese and spread peanut butter. If you already have these, there's no need to do the dishes. You'll get them tomorrow.


1 bagel (onion is best, but use whatever you have)
1 veggie burger patty (I prefer Morningstar's Garden Veggie patties for this recipe)
2 slices cheese
peanut butter

Separate the bagel halves. Hopefully you bought the bagels that are already cut in half, because slicing those things is a serious pain. Toast the bagel until the inside is nicely browned, but not charred.

While the bagel toasts, microwave your veggie patty until hot, but not hard (about 50-60 seconds). Cut two slices of cheese and set aside.

A superheated bagel will make the peanut butter too runny, so let cool for a minute.

Spread peanut butter on the top and bottom halves of the bagel. Place the patty and cheese slices in between bagel halves.


Optional: a squirt of honey mustard adds a sweet and tangy accent to this burger. I have been told that this may be an acquired taste.

The Rob Variation.

When I moved to Chicago with my brother, he refused to accept the peanut butter bagel burger as a regular menu item. However, he agreed that the bagel was superior to the standard burger bun, so we substituted tomato, lettuce, ketchup and mustard for the peanut butter.

Eat with a side of french fries and/or steamed asparagus (not pictured).

Serves 1.

Polenta Cake with Roasted Mushrooms and Basil

Polenta is a pantry-emptying meal. An easy-to-top-with-leftovers meal. A corn/meal. Like risotto, it gets an unfairly bad rap for being difficult to prepare. But if you can stir, you can make this. Polenta is simple and endlessly adaptable. And, despite its mea[s]ly origins, elegant.

1 cup milk
salt
1 cup coarse cornmeal
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup corn
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup or more freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Bring milk to a boil with 2 cups water in a medium saucepan and add a large pinch of salt. Turn the heat down to a simmer. Add cornmeal in a steady stream, whisking all the while. When it has all been added, let mixture return to a boil, then turn heat to low. Polenta should be just barely simmering.

Cook, stirring occasionally and being sure to scrape sides and bottom of pan, for 15 to 20 minutes, until mixture is creamy and cornmeal tastes cooked. If mixture becomes too thick, whisk in some water, about 1/2 cup at a time.

Taste and season polenta as necessary with salt and pepper. Take pan off stove, stir in corn, butter, and the cheese if you are using it.

Spread polenta in a 9x13 baking dish and let cool in the refrigerator for about half an hour. Meanwhile...

6 cups quartered crimini mushrooms
6 small shallots, quartered
2 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
olive oil
salt
pepper
1/2 cup basil, chopped into ribbons

Preheat your oven to 425° F.

Combine the mushrooms, shallots, and garlic in a roasting pan. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and shrunken. Toss with basil and set aside.

When the polenta has solidified, cut it into pieces, then toast each of these in an oiled, non-stick skillet until warmed through. Top polenta cakes with mushroom mixture. Serve warm.

Serves 6-8.

[With thanks to Joe's great guest post and Bittman.]

Cheesy Loving

Last week, my friend Rob sent me a link to this "Cheesy Lover" series on Freaky Trigger. He wrote:

This is a pop music site that often does weirdly comprehensive reviewing projects (like all the UK #1 singles over decades), but this one is about cheese.

Weirdly comprehensive indeed, as the writer has "a cheesy ambition, and that’s to eat and review every cheese available in Borough Market." I don't know what the Borough Market is, or how many cheeses they sell, but so far it seems she's eaten 78 varieties.

Let's read along together and learn!

[Photo]

Rhubarb Buttermilk Muffins

Despite the pre-sugaring, the rhubarb in these muffins will remain fairly tart. I like the tart fruit, but if you want a sweeter muffin, consider the classic combination of strawberry-rhubarb.

3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled a bit
1/2 cup sugar (divided)
2 stalks rhubarb, chopped into 1/2 inch thick pieces
2 cups whole grain pastry flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk

Toss the rhubarb pieces with 1/4 cup of the sugar and set aside. Preheat your oven to 400° F and grease or line a muffin tin with paper cups.

Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate, smaller bowl, combine the egg, buttermilk, and butter.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in the sugared rhubarb.

Spoon batter into muffin tin and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.