Sunday, March 30, 2014

Spinach-Strawberry Salad

2 bunches spinach
4 C strawberries
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/4 C white wine vinegar
1/2 C sugar
1/4 tsp paprika
2 TB sesame seeds
1 TB poppy seeds

Mix it all together.

Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Almonds


From Gourmet via Epicurious. I made this in the tagine I haggled for in Morocco! It came out great, both the recipe and the haggling.
My brother Andy and I followed our noses to a restaurant that made the most delicious-smelling tagine in the Old City part of Tangiers. Afterward, I wanted to buy a tagine of my own. We asked a kid in a shop that had tagines in the window, but the boy told us they weren't for sale. Still, he said, he had a friend who would sell us one, and he set off to take us there.
We followed the boy through the maze of streets for what felt like a long way. Right about the time we started to fear we'd been taken in several senses of the word, he stopped in front of a shop door.
We paid him the few cents in coins everyone seems to expect for helping a person out in Tangiers. The shop owner spoke English, and I told him what I wanted. Originally, he tried to charge me the equivalent of about $200!  I offered around $20. We both told each other the other was being ridiculous, and so the haggling began.
"This was handmade - look at the craftsmanship," he told me.
"And Customs officers are going to grill me about it," I replied.
"It's such a large piece of art - think how easily you'll feed your family."
"I'm going to have to lug the heavy thing in my backpack for miles!"
He nodded toward my brother. "You have a handsome, strong young man.  Surely he can afford to buy you this!"
"She's my sister," Andy said, helpfully. "I don't buy her anything."
Finally, we settled on about $80. I know I went away happy, and I'm sure I didn't get the better of the shopkeeper.



Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Almonds recipe
photo by John Kernick
yield
Makes 4 servings
active time
30 min
total time
1 1/2 hr
Food editor Maggie Ruggiero tasted this sweet, Moroccan-spiced dish on a recent visit to Marrakech, where chef Lafridi serves it at Jnane Tamsna.

ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 (3-lb) chicken, cut into 6 pieces, wings and backbone discarded
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 medium red onion, halved, then sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 5 fresh cilantro
  • 5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons mild honey
  • 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 cup dried Turkish apricots, separated into halves
  • 1/3 cup whole blanched almonds
  • Special equipment: a 10- to 12-inch tagine or heavy skillet; kitchen string

preparation

Stir together ground cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat well.
Heat butter and 1 tablespoon oil in base of tagine (or in skillet), uncovered, over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then brown half of chicken, skin sides down, turning over once, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Brown remaining chicken in same manner, adding any spice mixture left in bowl.
Add onion and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to tagine and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Tie cilantro and parsley into a bundle with kitchen string and add to tagine along with 1/2 cup water, chicken, and any juices accumulated on plate. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.
While chicken cooks, bring honey, remaining cup water, cinnamon stick, and apricots to a boil in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until apricots are very tender (add more water if necessary). Once apricots are tender, simmer until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 10 to 15 minutes.
While apricots cook, heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in a small skillet over moderate heat and cook almonds, stirring occasionally, until just golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
Ten minutes before chicken is done, add apricot mixture to tagine. Discard herbs and cinnamon stick, then serve chicken sprinkled with almonds on top.


Whole-grain Gingerbread


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Gingerbread — it's not just for dessert. Especially if you ask breakfast-lover Megan Gordon, whose recipe from Whole-Grain Mornings relies on three forms of ginger (ground, crystallized and fresh) to give it a rich spiciness."This bread gets even better with time — and, to me, tastes best on the third day," she says. "It gives those dark molasses flavors time to settle in."
Whole-Grain Gingerbread
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup spelt flour (or all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup packed muscovado sugar or brown sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger (optional)
1 Tb. grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbs. grated orange zest
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (optional)
8 Tbs. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses (Gordon uses blackstrap)
3 Tbs. honey
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, homemade (see recipe below) or store-bought
1 large egg, beaten
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch square pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking soda, salt, the three kinds of ginger, cloves, cinnamon, orange zest, and pepper. Use your hands to break up any clumps of sugar, and whisk well.
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the molasses and honey and cook, stirring, until the mixture is warm but not boiling. Pour into the flour mixture and stir to combine. Add the milk, yogurt, and egg and fold together until combined. With a little arm power, the mixture will soon look like a loose brownie batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the edges pull away from the pan slightly and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the gingerbread cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving. Any leftovers can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Yield: 9 servings
Per serving (3-inch square piece): 333 calories, 54g carbohydrates, 6g protein, 12g fat (7g saturated), 3g fiber, 50mg cholesterol, 172mg sodium

From USA Weekend

Braised Lemon Chicken with Herbs

6 chicken leg quarters
3/4 C flour
2 TB oil
1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 C white wine, sweet or semisweet
1 juice of lemon
1 TB honey
2 TB balsamic vinegar
1 1/4 C chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1 tsp dried basil, crushed
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the chicken with flour.

Heat oil in large ovenproof pan or shallow pot with a lid on medium to high heat.

Add chicken in single layer and sear on both sides for about 5 minutes per side. You may need to do this in batches. Remove chicken.

Add 1 tsp oil to the same pan, saute the onion and garlic until soft. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for about 5 minutes until the flavors are melded.

Add chicken into sauce, spoon sauce over to cover, and cover pan. Bring to boil.

Place pan in preheated oven, bake for 1 1/2 hours. Serve with sauce.

No-Knead Walnut-Rosemary Bread


From Press Enterprise, AP
Start to finish: 14 hours (20 minutes active)
Makes 1 loaf (10 servings)
1/2 cup (50 grams) coarsely chopped walnuts
2 cups (266 grams) bread flour
1 cup (133 grams) whole-wheat flour
11/4 teaspoons (8 grams) table salt
3/4 teaspoon (2 grams) instant or rapid-rise yeast
2 tablespoons (6 grams) chopped rosemary
11/3 cups (350 grams) cool water (55 degrees to 65 degrees)
Additional flour, wheat bran or cornmeal, for dusting
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the walnuts in a shallow baking dish, then place in the oven on the middle shelf to toast 10 to 12 minutes.
Set aside to cool.
Once the nuts are cooled, in a medium bowl stir them together with both flours, the salt, yeast and rosemary.
Add the water and stir briefly with a wooden spoon or your hands, just until the dough is barely mixed, about 30 seconds.
The dough should be quite wet and tacky.
If it is not, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water.
Cover the bowl and let it rise at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours, or until it is more than double in bulk.
After the dough has risen, generously sprinkle a work surface with flour and gently, with the help of a plastic bench scraper, scoop out the dough onto the counter.
Working very quickly, with floured hands, fold the dough inward to the center on all sides to form a seam.
Turn the dough over to form a round with the seam on the bottom.
Generously sprinkle a clean kitchen towel with flour.
Lay the towel flat on the counter and set the dough on top, seam down.
Sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour and loosely fold the ends of towel over the dough.
Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours, or until almost doubled in bulk.
You will know it is ready when you poke the dough and it holds your imprint.
If the dough bounces back, it is not ready.
About 30 minutes before you think the dough is ready, heat the oven to 475 degrees.
Put a rack in the lower third of the oven, and place a covered 41/2- to 51/2-quart casserole dish in the oven to heat.
When the dough has risen, carefully remove the casserole dish from the oven and remove the lid.
With the aid of the tea towel, flip the dough gently, seam side up, into the casserole, put the lid on the casserole and return it to the oven.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Carefully remove the lid and bake until the bread has browned nicely, another 15 to 30 minutes.
Remove the casserole dish from the oven and use a spatula or dish towel to carefully transfer the bread to a rack to cool completely before slicing.
Nutritional information per serving: 180 calories; 40 calories from fat (22 percent of total calories); 5 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 6 g protein; and 290 mg sodium.

White House Spinach Pie

From USA Weekend Food

1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
2 Tbs. olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 pound fresh spinach, well washed and drained
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 large eggs, beaten
1 C half and half, whole, or 2 percent milk
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
8 oz Swiss cheese, grated
 Optional: serve with dollop of greek yogurt
379 calories/serving, 19 g carbs, 16g protein, 28g fat (14 saturated), 1 g fiber, 106mg cholesterol, 505mg sodium

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, place pice crust on rimmed baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.

2. In a medium skillet over medium heat, drizzle in the olive oil. Add garlic and onion and saute until translucent, 5-7 minutes. Don't burn the garlic.

3. Add spinach a little at a t time, cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper, set aside.

4. Whisk together eggs and half and half. Add lemon zest and thyme. Add spinach, feta, and HALF the Swiss cheese, mix until well combined, season with salt and pepper

5. Pour mixture into the pie crust, sprinkle remaining Swiss cheese over the top.

6. Bake about 40 minutes, or until the center is set. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Lisa Mael's excellent vegan lentil soup

Lisa Mael's excellent vegan lentil soup. Huge hit at synagogue. Not so much with spice-hating co-workers.



Lentils

1 tsp. each to begin (add more to adjust flavor at the end) Ground cumin,
ground coriander, ground turmeric, ground chili pepper, salt & pepper to
taste. You may also want to add a cube of vegetable bullion or base
whatever you have on hand.

olive oil to cover the bottom of a soup pot

1 medium onion diced

4 - 6 cloves garlic diced or I use a garlic press

2 carrots sliced 1/4 rounds

2 red potatoes small cubes

1 cup red lentils (any type of lentil will do) rinsed and drained

1 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes

Any type of beans cannellini, garbanzo, I used Red Kidney

1 15oz can of coconut milk

1 Tbsp fresh ginger finely shredded/chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

Cilantro or parsley for garnish




Sautee onion in olive oil, add spices to bring out flavors, add garlic

Just before these ingredients get too hot add can of whole tomatoes and
crush by hand

fill the empty tomatoes can with water and add to pot

Add carrots and potatoes and lentils, cook until they become tender

Add beans, coconut milk and ginger bring to a simmer

Finish with the juice of half a lemon or more if you like

Top with cilantro or parsley


I like to say "use this recipe as a tool not the rule"  how can you go
wrong with these ingredients?  Add seasonal vegetables I've used winter
squash  in place of potatoes or zucchini in the summer with fresh tomatoes
in place of canned.

I love to serve lentil stew with Quiona

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Salmon with a Fiery Warm Salsa

From Spices Inc.
The salmon from Wild for Salmon on Route 11 in Bloomsburg is what I recommend.

Salmon with a Fiery Warm Salsa
Salmon with a Fiery Warm Salsa
Ok, this dish was a blast and not just because it was delicious! Penny is a big fan of salmon while I tend to prefer Tilapia so we of course have to work both into our rotation of fish dishes. Salmon is one of those good fishes for the picky eater who doesn't generally like the taste of fish (which is certainly me).

This was a easy salmon recipe to prepare and you can't go wrong anytime you get to create a salsa. This flavorful salsa was prepared a bit differently as we broke out the cast iron skillet and made it a warm salsa.

Salmon is one of those great fuel for the body foods as one serving of salmon is packed with nutrients including Omega 3 (87% of the daily recommended amount), Vitamin D (103%), Selenium (76%) and Protein (58%) just to name a few. And for those that don't know fish oil is believed by some to be one of the big secrets to burning fat.

*11g of fat comes from the salmon which is very high in Omega -3 fatty acids (the good fats).

The lime added a bit of tang to the heat of the jalapeno while the warm salsa nicely balanced the whole meal and warm tomato gave some soft almost sweet texture that also married well with the lime and jalapeno. This is definitely a meal that will become a fixture in the rotation of fish dishes


Ingredients:
  • 2 teaspoons of olive oil
  • 2 skinless salmon fillets (6 oz each)
  • 2 teaspoons Wild For Salmon seasoning
  • 10-12 cherry tomatoes about 3 ozs, cut in halves
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and minced
  • 1 fresh lime
Directions:
  1. Heat skillet to medium high heat and add olive oil
  2. Heat indoor or outdoor grill to medium heat
  3. Add onions, tomatoes and jalapenos and cook until onions and tomatoes are soft. Remove from heat, add juice from 1/2 of the lime and keep warm.
  4. Season both sides of the fillets with Wild For Salmon seasoning and place on the grill, cook for about 6-8 or until flaky (we turned ours over twice to lightly brown both sides)
  5. Mix the tomatoes, onions and jalapenos into a salsa and serve as a side with the salmon fillets
  6. Cut remaining lime into quarters and take one quarter and squeeze over the fish and salsa
Serves: Serves 2

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories 342
Protein  35 g
Carbs 16 g
Fat  15 g
Sat Fat  2.2 g
Trans Fat  0.0 g
Fiber  2 g
Sodium  152 mg

Challah Strata with Mushrooms, Peppers and Asparagus

From About.com Kosher food

Challah Strata with Mushrooms, Peppers, and Asparagus

ChallahStrata.JPG
Challah Strata with Mushrooms, Peppers
© Miri Rotkovitz
A great way to use up leftover challah, this Challah Strata with Mushrooms, Peppers, and Asparagus makes a delicious brunch dish or late-night dinner.  If you're serving a crowd, you can double the recipe and bake it in a 13" x 9" baking dish. 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Standing time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound challah, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 to 9 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon butter, plus extra for greasing the baking dish
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • 3 large cloves garlic, smashed, peeled, and finely chopped
  • 1 10-ounce package crimini mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, halved, and cut into wedges
  • 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 12 asparagus spears, trimmed and chopped into 1/4" pieces
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • 5 ounces herbed goat cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Generously butter an 8" x 8" baking dish, or a 2-quart ceramic gratin dish. Place the challah cubes in a large bowl and set aside.
2. In a chef's pan or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high  heat. When the butter has melted and begins to foam, add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms release their juices and soften. Add the red pepper and asparagus and cook 5 minutes more, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid in the pan has cooked off. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Pour the egg mixture over the challah cubes. Gently fold the challah into the custard so that all of the cubes are saturated. Let stand for 15 minutes so the challah can absorb the egg mixture.
4. Spoon half of the challah into the prepared baking dish, and smooth with a spatula to cover the bottom of the dish. Top with the vegetables, spreading them to evenly cover the challah. Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella. Crumble half of the goat cheese over the dish.
Top with the rest of the challah cubes, spreading them to the edges of the dish. Top evenly with the remaining mozzarella and goat cheese. Drizzle with olive oil.
5. Bake the strata in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until it is puffed and golden, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Enjoy!

Baked Challah French Toast

From MyJewishLearning

Leftover Challah Recipes

Beyond french toast.

By

Dairy
Print this pagePrint page
french toast Last spring, I received quite the shock upon opening my freezer for its annual pre-Passover cleaning. Inside, bag upon bag of forgotten scraps and ends of challahs-past sat shivering and waiting for redemption. I hadn't meant to let my leftover challah situation grow so ugly, but there it was, staring me in the face. With only a few days before I needed to be hametz-free, I decided to feed some of the challah to my compost worms, and dump the rest of it (guiltily) into the garbage. But I promised myself that next Passover I would

Of course, there is little I can do about the weekly surplus of challah that builds up after Shabbat. The real conundrum is what to do with all those odds and ends that accumulate into a freezer full of old challah. Conventional Jewish wisdom seems to suggest one acceptable option: French toast.

Ingredients



1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup brown sugar
1 loaf challah (maybe a little more), cut into thick slices
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
cinnamon & vanilla extract to your liking

Yield:

6-8 servings

Categories: Appetizer, breakfast, brunch, chametz, Hanukkah, Purim, Shabbat

Directions

The Night Before: Melt butter in a pan. Crumble brown sugar into butter and stir until combined. Spread mixture to cover the bottom of a glass baking dish. Double layer the challah into the dish.

Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl. Add cinnamon and vanilla and stir to combine. Pour mixture over the bread, soaking it all the way through. (The wet mixture should almost cover the bread...if there's not enough mixture, make a little bit more.) Cover baking dish and let set over night in fridge.

In the Morning: Uncover dish and bake in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes-1 hour. Serve warm with maple syrup.

Lisa Mael's Challah

We made this challah recipe, perfected by Lisa Mael, at Congregation Beth Israel, for a challah-day in January, 2014.  It was a huge hit!  Lisa says it also won a prize at the Bloomsburg Fair

It's a good thing the challah was popular.  We also tried to hold a Saturday service, complete with an English translation Torah reading, while the bread was rising.  That's when we learned why the Torah is often not read in English - a lot of the section was on how to treat your slaves, and your enslaved daughter! It didn't help that we had several guests and newcomers in the audience. What an introduction to Judaism!

Notes from the recipe:
The tradition of serving twisted loaves on the Sabbath has its origin in the manna the Israelites received in the desert. They would collect a double portion of manna on Friday for the Sabbath, as manna did not fall on the Sabbath. Therefore the use of two loaves. The manna fell on a cover of dew and was covered with dew. We duplicate these two covers with the tablecloth below the loaves and a special cover which is removed only after the Kiddush (blessing over wine) and the appropriate blessing for the loaves. The twisted shape of the loaves duplicates the loaves in the Temple. So says Bonnie Kupinsky, who is quoted on the recipe.

Ingredients:
• 2 T yeast
• 2 C warm water
• 2-3 eggs
•1/4 to 1/2 C honey or sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 T to 1/3 C butter or oil
• 7-8 C whole wheat flour (actually, this makes for a heavy bread. I'd recommend using 1 cup, maybe 2, of whole wheat, but not more.)
• Sesame or poppy seeds (optional)
• Add 1/2 C each soy flour and wheat germ for high-protien Challah.

Dissolve yeast in water. Add eggs, honey, salt, butter and about 3 1/2 C flour. Beat well.

Add remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead 5-10 minutes, adding more flour if necessary.  Use as little flour as possible for a delicate Challah. It should be velvety soft.

Let rise until doubled, 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours in a warm room or overnight in the refrigerator.

Punch down and either let rise again or braid immediately into two loaves.  (A 3-strand braid is fine.  But feel free to look up variations - you could write a good-sized article on braids alone.) 

Brush with egg wash (one egg beaten with a pinch of salt.) Sprinkle with seeds if you like.

Bake 350 to 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes, until golden brown.

Variations: Use scalded milk instead of water, or add 1/2C dry milk powder. Use 1/2 to 1 C butter and up to 2/3 C honey or sugar. Salt may be reduced to 1 tsp or less. 4 egg yolks may be used instead of 2 eggs for a richer bread. 1 tsp vanilla or rum may be added. Crust may be brushed with melted butter after baking for a soft crust. But with these additions and variation, the recipe becomes egg bread instead of Challah.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Shortcakes with Gingered Creme Fraiche

Source: USAWeekend
The arrival of two of spring's first crops — strawberries and rhubarb — is a welcome reminder that the warmer months are here. The Culinary Institute of America's twist on a classic spring treat brings sweet and tart flavors together.
New to rhubarb? Soak cut cubes overnight with sugar to draw out some of the juice. When cooking, keep an eye on the pot — rhubarb starts off hard but gets soft quickly.
RHUBARB AND STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES WITH GINGERED CRÈME FRAÎCHE
Rhubarb
½ pound rhubarb, stalks only, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ to ¾ cup sugar, depending upon desired sweetness
One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and halved (about 1½ ounces)
1 cardamom pod
1 cup fresh strawberries, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
Shortcakes
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
1½ cups buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon sugar, for garnish
Whipped Cream and Crème Fraîche with Ginger Chips
½ cup crème fraîche
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons sugar
½ cup ginger chips (see chef's note) or candied ginger, finely minced
For the rhubarb: Toss the rhubarb, sugar, ginger and cardamom pod in a glass container. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Turn the mixture once or twice to evenly distribute the sugar.
For the shortcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and butter in a mixer bowl and chill in the freezer for 5 minutes. After it's chilled, place bowl on mixer and paddle until pea-size pieces of butter are left. Add buttermilk and paddle until mixture just comes together. Roll out dough to ¾-inch thickness.
Cut out 3-inch biscuits and place on parchment-covered sheet tray. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
For the rhubarb: Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium saucepan. Gently pour the rhubarb mixture through the sieve into the saucepan. Remove sieve with the rhubarb and place over a bowl. Remove and discard the ginger and cardamom.
Bring the liquid and sugar in the saucepan to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring gently, until all of the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add the rhubarb to the saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb just begins to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the rhubarb mixture from the heat and reserve at room temperature while preparing the whipped cream. The rhubarb will continue to soften as it sits.
For the whipped cream: Place the stainless steel bowl and whip attachment for an electric mixer in the freezer 10 minutes before whipping the cream. Place the crème fraîche, cream, and sugar into the chilled bowl and whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes. Gently stir in the ginger chips. Reserve until needed.
Place the saucepan with rhubarb mixture back on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the strawberries and cook until the strawberries are just heated through but still firm, about 2 minutes. Tease shortcakes apart with a fork. Divide rhubarb and strawberry mixture between the shortcakes (about ½ cup per serving) and finish each shortcake with a dollop of whipped cream.
Chef's note: Don't use the rhubarb leaves; they are poisonous. Use only the stalks.
PER SERVING: 696 CALORIES,
9 g PROTEIN,
69 g CARBOHYDRATES,
2 g FIBER,
44 g TOTAL FAT (29 g saturated fat),
544 mg SODIUM,
160 mg CHOLESTEROL