Making Room For Rhubarb

My favorite spring cleaning ritual is using up all of the frozen produce in my freezer from last summer. Some people find it crazy that I bother to freeze the bounty of the farmer’s markets like herbs, berries and vegetables and use them, bit by bit, all winter long. It is true that most of these things can be found in stores year-round, but, I swear, freezing them fresh is the way to go. A frozen berry from last July still tastes better than anything I can buy in the store in January.—

So, now that produce paradise is almost upon us again I am using up the remainder of my goods from last season, including my very last bag of rhubarb. This is particularly timely since rhubarb season is just beginning and pretty soon I’ll be able to cut fresh stalks straight from the garden. I have endless recipes for my favorite seasonal vegetable to share with you and today I am going to start with one of the best, Simple Rhubarb Almond Cake.

Baking this cake during my daughter’s afternoon naptime is a snap. Making the entire batter takes all of five minutes and merely requires stirring the ingredients in one large bowl. Then I leave it to bake while I tend to other things around the house. I love to serve it with vanilla ice-cream after dinner, but it is also great served on it’s own with a cup of tea or, even, for breakfast with some cool Greek yogurt. Best of all, if you don’t have rhubarb you can use almost any other fruit you would like, making this recipe incredibly versatile.

Simple Rhubarb Almond Cake

adapted from Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin

1 c. sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1 c. all-purpose flour, sifted

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 eggs

1 t. pure almond extract

1 1/4 c. chopped rhubarb in 1-inch chunks or smaller (or any other fruit – see more ideas below)

1. Preheat oven to 350%uFFFDF.

2. Butter and flour 9-inch cake pan. Scatter fruit chunks evenly on the bottom of the pan and set aside.

3. Mix sugar, flour, cooled butter, eggs and almond extract in a large bowl until fully combined.

4. Pour this batter over fruit in the cake pan and sprinkle top lightly with sugar to make a nice crust.

5. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Variations & Ideas: I don’t know if there is a simpler cake in the whole world. It is delicious everytime, no matter what fruit you use. I have made this before with cranberries, blueberries, peaches, plums, apples and pears. They are all excellent.

Naptime Stopwatch: The batter of this cake takes about 5 minutes to prepare and about 40 minutes to bake.

Naptime Reviews: My daughter loves this cake and can’t get enough of it. I’ve also served this at summer luncheons and dinner parties and it is always a hit.

– Kelsey Banfield, The Naptime Chef™

Instituto Cervantes

Children and teenagers learn to understand and express themselves in Spanish, while improving their communication skills through a dynamic immersion program taught by NATIVE TEACHERS that combines CLASSES, ARTISTIC WORKSHOPS and FUN ACTIVITIES! All of our high-qualified teachers are native Spanish speakers who adapt the structure of the class to the needs and levels of each group while conducting the classes entirely in Spanish. We offer both Spanish Summer Camps and Regular Courses for children along the year to foster language learning and multicultural understanding.

The School at the Mark Morris Dance Center

The School at the Mark Morris Dance Center offers year-round, community-based dance and music programming in a fully inclusive and nurturing environment, located in the heart of the Brooklyn Cultural District. The School&rsquo;s diverse and professional faculty provides progressive and non-competitive instruction with all of our classes accompanied by live music. Though we are a non-recital school, there are opportunities for students to perform and for parents to see their dancers in action.

Brick-or-Treat at LEGOLAND® New York Resort

Monstrous Family fun returns with Brick-or-Treat at LEGOLAND&reg; New York Resort! &nbsp; The signature children&rsquo;s Halloween event kicks off October 3rd&nbsp;when the Park transforms into a bewitching party filled with candy, seasonal shows, and Halloween themed LEGO characters. The event runs on all operating dates in October, with all festivities included in general admission. Meet LEGO Monster characters like Spider Lady and Wacky Witch and make your way to the treat stations around the Park. Don&rsquo;t forget your costumes! &nbsp; New for 2024: Monster Party Nights at LEGOLAND New York Hotel! Book a Brick-or-Treat overnight package in October to enjoy extra sweet Halloween-themed fun after a day in the Park. Hotel guests will have the opportunity to eat breakfast with a Monster, participate in themed crafts and LEGO builds, rock out at the Monster Dance Party each night, and more! &nbsp; AWESOME AWAITS at LEGOLAND&reg; New York Resort, the ultimate LEGO&reg; theme park destination, for kids ages two through twelve and their families. Ride, climb, and build your way through seven LEGO themed lands. &nbsp;