Happy Easter! Part 3: Rhubarb Tart with Orange Glaze

I love rhubarb. It’s a vegetable with an identity crisis because it’s usually prepared and eaten as a fruit would be. The night before Easter, we ate dinner at La Posta, where my mom ordered a salad special that contained thin slices of raw rhubarb. I tried a bite and agreed that its subtle flavor and light crunch was appealing and a nice change from the usual baked or stewed rhubarb. Happy to have enjoyed rhubarb in its pure state, we baked it in a puff pastry tart for a light Easter dessert the next day. It was simple to make and the orange glaze on top is the perfect match to the tart rhubarb!

Rhubarb Tart with Orange Glaze
(From the April 2009 Gourmet)

1 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 pound rhubarb stalks, thinly sliced diagonally (about 1/8 inch)
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17 1/4-ounces package), thawed
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.

• Stir together orange juice, lime juice, and sugar in a bowl. Add rhubarb and let stand, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.

• Meanwhile, cut pastry in half lengthwise, then roll out each piece into an 11-by 7-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Arrange pastry rectangles side by side on an ungreased large baking sheet.

• Make a 1/2-inch border around each pastry rectangle by lightly scoring a line parallel to each edge (do not cut all the way through). Prick pastry inside border all over with a fork.

• Strain rhubarb mixture through a sieve set over a bowl, reserving liquid. Top 1 pastry rectangle (within border) with half of rhubarb, overlapping slices slightly. Repeat with remaining pastry and rhubarb.

• Bake until pastry is puffed and golden (underside of pastry should also be golden), 20-25 minutes. Keep an eye on it. The pastry can easily go from golden to black!

• Meanwhile, boil reserved rhubarb liquid in a small saucepan, skimming foam if necessary, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 15 to 18 minutes.

• Transfer tarts to a rack. Brush rhubarb and pastry with glaze and sprinkle with zest. Makes 8 servings.