Strawberry-Rhubarb Salad with Mint

I’ve been absent from this space for a few weeks while we drove up to Canada and settled in, and got used to doing groceries in Quebec once again. Lactose-free goat cheese proved harder to find than last summer, but it still exists – I bought four packages yesterday. And President’s Choice makes lactose-free sour cream now, so really, the only thing the US has that Canada doesn’t is lactose-free cream cheese. But Canada has lactose-free cream, so that more than compensates. (Also, we got quite a shock purchasing Earth Balance margarine in sticks, which not only are hard to find here, but are a whopping $8.49 per package! We pay about $4.00 in the States, and even factoring in the exchange rate, that seems outrageous.) Plus, I’m once again surprised at how hard it is to find decent everyday ingredients like vanilla, baking chocolate or cocoa. Sure, there is natural vanilla, but it comes literally last on the ingredient list, after water and alcohol and even sugar. As for the rest, it seems like there’s only Baker’s and Fry’s, respectively, which reminds me why I liked Aubut so much. (Both those brands are perfectly acceptable in most cases, but when you’ve tasted better, it’s hard to be limited to something so bland!)

Another thing Quebec does have is the best strawberries in the world, and they’re in season right now, so we’re enjoying them – the Little Prince seems especially fond of them. There’s a recipe that I made early last summer and somehow I never got around to posting about it, but it was really good. If you have access to great strawberries, now the perfect time for this fresh salad! It can be a light dessert, though I think it would be perfect for brunch.

2 rhubarb stalks, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. Cointreau or fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 lbs. strawberries, hulled, quartered
¼ cup torn fresh mint leaves

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 and mint. (The salad is best eaten right away, but will keep for a day or two in the fridge.)