Welcome to our “Celebrity Chef” column. It is our pleasure to introduce you to Jean Emmott, our next “Celebrity Chef”. Jean has graciously offered to share herrecipe for Rhubarb Dream Bars, featuring one of springs’ first and finest offerings.
(And yes, you are right on, if you think our next celebrity chef column should showcase asparagus.)
Jean Emmott really likes to cook. And she really likes rhubarb. (Only someone who likes rhubarb would have a copy of the cookbook Rosy Rhubarb Days, published by the organizers of the Rosy Rhubarb Festival held each year in Shedden, Ontario. In 2012 the festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary.) Rhubarb Dream Bars is a recipe she adapted from the cookbook.
“I like to cook but not complicated recipes”, she states, adding she tends to use everyday staples and not exotic ingredients. She likes to share her recipes and also enjoys helping out at various community events, offering to take along one of her quick and easy favourites. You will often find Jean at her church bake sale with a pan or two of rhubarb cobbler or rhubarb muffins or ….her list of favourites is quite extensive.
Jean and her husband Bill are 4th generation dairy farmers. Jean can often be found in the barn milking, and until recently she worked part time as an elementary school teacher. Her husband Bill is serving his 4th term as chairman of Dairy Farmers of Ontario. So as you might guess, quick, easy and nutritious is the ticket.
Jean likes to follow Canada’s food guide as she prepares meals for her family. (You can check out Canada’s food guide at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php).
In addition to teaching cooking classes for various organizations and groups, she also taught her sons Andrew, Phil and Wes to cook. But to her dismay her sons and her husband do not like rhubarb. “But there is always hope”, Jeans says as she laughs, as her daughter-in-laws do!
Rhubarb is also easy to freeze so you can enjoy it all year long. Remove and discard the leaves, wash the stalks, chop, bag it and freeze. Be sure to check out www.bountifulbrant.cato find out who has rhubarb for sale.
Enjoy!
Click here to enjoy Rhubarb Dream Bars
