Strawberry-Rhubarb Salad with Mint and Hazelnuts

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup blanched hazelnuts

• 2 rhubarb stalks, thinly sliced on the diagonal

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 tablespoon Cointreau or fresh orange juice

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 2 pounds strawberries, hulled, quartered

• 1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool, then chop.

2. Meanwhile, toss rhubarb, sugar, Cointreau, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Let sit until rhubarb is slightly softened and releases its juices, about 30 minutes. Toss with strawberries, mint, and hazelnuts.

Cooks' note: Resist the urge to make the salad the night before, or the rhubarb may become too soft.

Roast Chicken with Rhubarb Butter and Asparagus

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large rhubarb stalk, cut into 1/2" pieces

• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 tablespoon finely grated peeled ginger

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

• 1 (3 1/2–4-pounds) chicken, backbone removed, chicken patted dry

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

• 2 lemons, halved

PREPARATION:

1. Bring rhubarb, orange juice, honey, and ginger to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is soft but not falling apart, about 5 minutes. Drain over a small bowl. Reserve cooking liquid and rhubarb separately; let cool.

2. Mix rhubarb and butter in a small bowl until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Set aside 1 tablespoon rhubarb butter for vegetables.

3. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chicken, skin side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Gently slide your fingers underneath skin to loosen and rub flesh all over with remaining rhubarb butter (try not to tear skin). Drizzle chicken with 1 tablespoon oil and some of the reserved rhubarb cooking liquid, scatter thyme over, and season with salt and pepper.

4. Roast chicken until skin is browned and crisp and meat is cooked through (juices will run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh should register 165°F), 40–50 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, prepare grill for medium-high heat (or heat a grill pan over medium-high). Toss asparagus in a large bowl with remaining 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill asparagus and lemons (cut side down), turning asparagus often, until stalks are just tender, 2–3 minutes. Let lemon halves cool.

6. Toss asparagus with reserved rhubarb butter. Serve chicken and asparagus with any pan juices drizzled over with grilled lemons for squeezing over.

Quick-Pickled Rhubarb Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 rhubarb stalks, sliced on a diagonal

• 1 cup red wine vinegar

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more

• 1 fennel bulb, halved, cored, very thinly sliced

• 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced on a diagonal, plus celery leaves for serving

• Olive oil (for drizzling)

• Freshly ground black pepper

Special Equipment:

• A heatproof 1-pint jar

PREPARATION:

1. Pack rhubarb into jar. Bring vinegar, sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, and 3/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour into jar. Cover and chill until cold, at least 1 hour.

2. Toss fennel, celery, 1 cup drained pickled rhubarb, and 2 Tbsp. pickling liquid in a large bowl to combine; season with salt.

3. Arrange salad on a platter; drizzle with oil and grind some pepper over. Top with celery leaves and remaining drained pickled rhubarb.

Do Ahead: Rhubarb can be pickled 1 week ahead. Keep chilled.

Coconut Custard and Rhubarb Tart

INGREDIENTS:

Custard:

• 2 (13.5-oz.) cans unsweetened full-fat coconut milk

• 5 large egg yolks

• 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar

• 1/3 cup cornstarch or 1/2 cup tapioca starch (if keeping Passover, use tapioca starch)

• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt

• 3 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil, room temperature

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Crust:

• 2 2/3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray

• 2 large egg whites

• 3 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil, room temperature

• 2 Tbsp. sugar

• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Rhubarb Syrup and Assembly:

• 2 1/4 tsp. kosher gelatin

• 1/2 cup strawberry jelly

• 1 lb. rhubarb, cut into 1/3" pieces

• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Special Equipment:

• A 10" tart pan with removable bottom

PREPARATION:

Custard:

1. Bring coconut milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl to combine. Whisking constantly, gradually add 1 cup warmed coconut milk to the egg yolk mixture. Whisking constantly, add egg mixture to milk mixture in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 7 minutes (mixture should start bubbling halfway through and thicken to a pudding consistency, but be sure to cook the full 7 minutes).

2. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Immediately whisk in coconut oil and vanilla. Cover bowl with plastic, pressing on the surface of custard. Chill until set, at least 2 hours.

3. Do Ahead: Custard can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Toast coconut on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden, 7–10 minutes. Let cool.

2. Lightly coat tart pan with nonstick spray. Mix toasted coconut, egg whites, oil, sugar, and salt with a rubber spatula in a large bowl until combined and the consistency of a stiff paste.

3. Transfer coconut mixture to the tart pan. Using your hands, press mixture evenly onto bottom and up sides of the pan. Bake crust until edges are lightly brown and the bottom is set and just barely golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let crust cool.

4. Do Ahead: Crust can be baked 1 day ahead. Wrap with plastic and store at room temperature.

Rhubarb Syrup and Assembly:

1. Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup water in a small bowl. Let sit 10 minutes.

2. Combine jelly and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add bloomed gelatin and mix to combine. Add rhubarb, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is lighter pink in color and slightly softened, 2–4 minutes depending on the thickness of stalks. Mix in lemon juice. Turn off heat and let rhubarb come to room temperature in syrup (about 1 hour). Strain cooled rhubarb through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl; reserve syrup.

3. Whisk chilled custard until creamy. Spoon custard into tart shell; smooth with an offset spatula.

4. Scatter rhubarb in an even layer over custard. Pour 1/4 cup rhubarb syrup over fruit, tilting pan to evenly distribute. Chill 20 minutes, then repeat with 1/4 cup rhubarb syrup. Chill tart at least 3 hours and up to overnight before serving.

Maple Roasted Chicken with Acorn Squash

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 acorn squash (about 
1 1/2 lb), halved, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch-
thick slices

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

• 3/4 tsp each sea salt 
and ground black 
pepper, divided

• 4 large boneless chicken thighs (about 1 lb), trimmed

• 3 tbsp pure maple syrup

• 1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

• 1 tbsp coarsely 
chopped garlic

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, toss squash with oil; spread in a single layer on a large rimmed parchment-lined baking sheet. Arrange onion wedges around squash. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper over vegetables. Bake for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in same bowl, toss chicken with maple syrup, rosemary, garlic and remaining 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.

3. Increase oven temperature to 425°F. Place chicken on same baking sheet on top of squash and onions. Pour any remaining syrup mixture from bowl over chicken. Return to oven and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the largest thigh registers 165°F, 25 to 30 minutes. Baste chicken once or twice during baking time using juices from bottom of baking sheet.