It hot as hades here in Toronto.  Hot like July.  And dry.  Dry like... I don't know.  It doesn't often get this dry here.  All this hot, dry weather is making me feel like school should be done... like now.  It's making me feel like I need a sleep in the afternoon - yeah, I don't know why the summer makes me want to sleep in the afternoon.  The hot weather makes me want to run like crazy and get all my canning stuff out.  The problem is... it's May.
It's the end of May, I'll grant you that.  But it's still just May.  It's pretty early for 28 degrees.  It feels weird baking with rhubarb in 30 degree weather but here I am baking with rhubarb.  And it's 30 degrees.  Three.  Zero.
I'm not going to get into the whole scary/disturbing side of it being hot like crazy in May.  It's been hot before, right?  I'm not going to get into all the stuff that puts a knot in my stomach and makes me fear for my kids and especially my grandkids.  I'm not going to dwell on the notice that has come with the last two or three food boxes.  The notice that informs us all about this seasons tree crops or the lack thereof.
Needless to say, school is not over yet.  Not for a good little while.  I can't sleep in the afternoon because I have work to do or am in the middle of doing work.  Because of that work I can't just go and run like crazy, I have to be reasonable about the amount of time I spend doing fun things (yes, running is fun for me).  And, because it's May, I could get all my canning stuff out but there isn't a hell of a lot to can just yet.  Except for Rhubarb.


Rhubarb.  I got some in the food box this week because my own poor little rhubarb plant is being overtaken by the raspberries that I unwisely planted too close years ago.  It's struggling and I have to move it and I don't know where to move it to.  So while I'm pondering I decided to just go ahead and get some rhubarb in the foodbox.  Rhubarb is weird.  Rhubarb makes me wonder how anybody thought of eating it.  Rhubarb makes me think that it's a good thing it's a fruit/veg (?) that is best in the early spring because honestly if it had to compete with fruit later in the growing season it would be no contest.  It doesn't even taste that good unless you do something to it.  It's not like a fresh tomato or green bean that you can just pick and enjoy.  Rhubarb needs some TLC.  Once you do cook it, it's got this strange texture that only reminds me of rhubarb.  Nothing else.   Although the stuff made me want to gag as a kid, now I'm using it and eating it like it's my favourite.  I think that it's what rhubarb represents that makes me love it so much now.  A new season.  New growth, new planting and better things to come.  The start of a whole new cycle.  I've still got a couple more rhubarb recipes up my sleeve and I want to make sure that I've got a little in the freezer to mix with some strawberries for some kick ass jam.  Whenever strawberry season hits.  For now though I'm going to sweat it out in my kitchen.



Rhubarb and Sour Cream Cake adapted from 'Delicious Magazine UK'
1 8x8 square cake

Rhubarb:
3 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp all-purpose flour

Mix the chopped rhubarb, sugar and flour together in a bowl and set aside.


Crumb Topping:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 generous tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup less 2 tbsp sugar
1 vanilla bean with the vanilla scraped out
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt.

Melt together the butter and both sugars.  stir well over med/low heat until the butter is melted.  remove from the heat.  Add the vanilla bean scrapings and stir well.  In a separate bowl mix together the salt and flour.  Add the flour to the melted butter.  Mix together until it forms a crumbly texture.  Set aside.


Cake:
6 tbsp sour cream or plain yogurt
1 lg egg + 1 yolk
1tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/8 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup + 3 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature

Grease an 8x8 square baking pan.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix together the sour cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla.  Whisk until everything is mixed together well.  Set aside.
Mix together the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.  Add the butter and cream together until everything is well mixed and not dry anymore.  Add the egg/sour cream mixture.  Whisk together until light and fluffy.  The dough will be quite thick.  Spread into the prepared pan.
Using a slotted spoon, spoon the rhubarb onto the top of the cake batter.  Spread evenly.
Sprinkle the crumb topping on the whole mess.  I pressed it in just a little but you don't have to do that.
Bake for about 35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean and the sides of the cake are just lightly browned.
Cool for about 10 minutes before cutting.