{The Art of a Simple Kuchen}

As much fun as it is to make complicated dishes that require lots of kitchen gadgets, there is no denying that there’s something incredibly satisfying about simple cooking.  Once in a while I encounter a person who tells me that they never cook.  When I ask why, I’m usually told that it’s because they are scared of the process.

And when I try to explain to these individuals that cooking doesn’t have to be complicated, I get a quick, “Well, you do a lot of it.”  It’s hard for me to convince them otherwise, so we tend to drop the subject.

When I cook at home, my favorite foods to make require few ingredients.  I enjoy making slaws and roasting veggies.  A couple days a week, I will either bake or grill some fish.  We’ll have a pasta dish one day, tofu and quinoa another.  For dessert, Eric and I either have a bowl of ice cream or we will share a piece of fresh fruit, cut up in a bowl.  

My mother-in-law, Kay, enjoys simple cooking even more than I do.  Her dishes always contain the freshest ingredients and she lets the vegetables, meat, and fish that she uses speak for themselves.  She’s the kind of cook who believes that people can add more salt to a dish if they’d like, so she never over seasons her food. Her desserts are equally as delicious, but are also shockingly easy to prepare.

The first time I saw Kay make a strawberry rhubarb kuchen (which is the German word for “cake”, but it can also be a tart),  I was blown away.   I’m still working on my pie crust-making skills, so when I witnessed that, instead of using a rolling pin, she just spread it out in the pan with her bare hands, I was thrilled. 

The “filling” requires even less energy than the crust.  Cut fruit, lemon juice, a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar.  And while rhubarb and strawberries are delightful seasonal ingredients to use, it can also be made with plums or peaches or apples.  Of course, this goes wonderfully with ice cream, which is how we served it this past weekend.

Additional Note: A special thanks to Eric’s Aunt Lexa, who rescued my camera from the Cape and shipped it back to Boston.  Without her, we’d have no post… and we’d all be very sad.

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

2 tbsp milk

1 cup strawberries, quartered

3 stalks of rhubarb, cut into thick chunks

Juice of 1 lemon

Cinnamon

Sugar

In a bowl, sift together flour and sugar.  Cut in butter and mix until it looks like coarse meal.  Slightly beat  egg and milk; blend into flour mixture.

Flatten and press with hands to bottom and sides of an 8″ square pan or pie plate.  

Toss four cups (or so) of cut fruit and press into dough.  Soak with fresh lemon juice.  Sprinkle on top with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar, and put some small dabs of butter on top.  Bake for 40-50 minutes at 375 degrees.