Verona Cooks: Floyd Cardoz’ Rhubarb Chutney

Floyd Cardoz, the Verona resident who is the executive chef at Tabla restaurant in Manhattan, is adamant about cooking with the seasons. You might recall that, earlier this spring, he shared an asparagus recipe with the readers of MyVeronaNJ, and showed you how to cook it in our very first food video.

So with the rhubarb almost ready for harvest in my garden, I was very happy to get Tabla’s newsletter last week because it contained Chef Cardoz’ recipe for rhubarb chutney. It is super easy to make and, with the exception of one ingredient, everything is easy to find at your regular supermarket. Yellow mustard dal was unfamiliar to me, but Cardoz says it is a common Indian ingredient, and is readily available at the Patelshah Indian Grocery in the Pio Costa shopping plaza in Fairfield.

If you can’t find rhubarb at the supermarket, head to the Montclair Farmer’s Market at the Walnut Street train station. It opens this Saturday, June 5. The Tree-Licious Orchards stand (first one to the right after the beekeepers) always has tons of rhubarb in season.

Rhubarb Chutney

2 lbs rhubarb, cut into ¼ inch slices
¼ cup golden raisins
4 tablespoons ginger, peeled and cut into strips
½ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup sugar
1 cup water
¼ tablespoon cayenne
1 tablespoon yellow mustard dal
½ tablespoon paprika
½ teaspoon turmeric
Salt (to taste)

Method:
1. Combine all the ingredients except the rhubarb in a large stew pot.
2. Place on high heat and reduce until thick and the liquid starts to
bubble vigorously. Season with a little bit of salt.
3. Add the rhubarb, bring up to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Taste
and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer from pan to a large bowl
to prevent overcooking.