0 5 . 1 0 . 1 2

morning preserves

(i could easily make this a weekly ritual)

early summer's lovely plethora

of strawberries and rhubarb

<<<>>>

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

Obviously still half asleep this morning, I attempted to follow this recipe. After stirring the pot for a couple of minutes, I quickly realized I had accidentally added the strawberries too soon. It was an irreversible error! I left the strawberries to cook alongside the rhubarb, in hopes of salvaging my fruit mixture. Because of the juice released from the strawberries, I needed to simmer the compote for longer than necessary to bring it to my desired thickness. After about 30 minutes of simmering, the "compote" turned more into a preserves; uniform in texture and rich in flavor. I dolloped spoonfuls of preserves, tart & silky, atop my toast with butter...and my morning was complete.

 

2 cups chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup strawberries, quartered

Put the rhubarb, water, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat, stirring as needed, until the rhubarb softens and begins to break down. If you want a thicker mixture, keep cooking until it reaches your desired consistency. Take the pot off the heat, add the strawberries, and stir to combine. Transfer to a storage container and refrigerate until chilled.