Chilled Rhubarb Soup

Many people think of rhubarb as a fruit because most of us are used to seeing it in a pie, but technically, it's a vegetable. It has a ton of its natural acidity and tartness, but those flavors, when tamed with something sweet, can produce great results. The Perrier in this recipe gives the soup a nice brightness and effervescence that makes it dance on the tongue. This is nice because come dessert time, your palate is often a bit dull after all that wine and food. Guests at Craigie Street Bistrot have been going nuts for this dessert for the past few weeks. Hopefully your guests will react the same way.

Ingredients:
8-10 stalks of rhubarb (rinsed well)
4-5 springs of tarragon
1 small knob of ginger (sliced and smashed)
1 vanilla bean (split and scraped)
approx 1/2 cup vanilla sugar *
1 tbsp hibiscus tea (in a sachet)
1-2 oz white wine
pinch of salt

Slice rhubarb into 1/8 inch discs. Combine everything but the hibiscus tea in a large pot.  Cover with water and bring to a boil. Add tea and let steep for three minutes. Remove sachet. Put in large bowl, which you put in a larger bowl filled with ice cubes/water. Top with fresh tarragon, mint, or fennel. As an added bonus, you could top the soup with a lovely vanilla or crème fraiche ice cream or a berry sorbet.  

*Great tip: To make vanilla sugar, save used vanilla pods (when you see the price, you'll want to!) and leave above the stove until dry -- a few hours. Simply place in a mason jar and cover with sugar. Use whenever sugar is called for in recipes.