Okay, so I know that this may not be the most seasonal recipe, what with blueberries hitting their peak in the summertime. But domestic blueberries are actually in season through October, and if you're lucky, you have some freshly-picked blueberries still lingering in the freezer. So I'm posting this recipe regardless—because this compote is really, really, good.
The idea to make this tart, spoon-able compote came from the need to bring a topping to a waffle-bar get-together a little while back. I knew I wanted to embrace fresh, fruit-y flavors, but a peach topping had been claimed and strawberries seemed too obvious a choice. I’ll admit that rhubarb is a bit of a stranger to me — I tend to mentally reserve it as an occasional pie filling. But the vibrant long stalks are quite irresistible, and I challenged myself to make a topping with it.
The compote cooks into a delicious consistency—a thick syrup-like mixture filled with pieces of tender rhubarb and plump blueberries. While it was fabulous served warm over waffles, I liked it just as much mixed into thick greek yogurt and topped with berries and graham cracker crumbs for dessert. And because I don’t have time to make homemade waffles every morning (or, for that matter, a waffle maker to do so), I began spooning it over whole-grain toast and using it to spruce up blueberry toaster waffles. And you know what? It worked.
Recipe note: This recipe makes enough to serve a large group of people — cut in half if you are making it for a smaller crowd.
Blueberry-Rhubarb Compote
Ingredients
- 1 lb. rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 pint blueberries
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons honey, to taste
Instructions
Place the rhubarb, cardamom, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Let simmer until the rhubarb is tender, 10-15 minutes.
Add the blueberries to the saucepan and cook gently until blueberries are soft but not mushy. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Add the honey a little bit add a time, tasting as you go. Serve warm over waffles and pancakes, or mix it into greek yogurt for a decadent breakfast or dessert.
Recipe adapted from The Vanilla Bean Blog.
Enjoy!
grace