Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

I'm a little recipe happy today, so here's another! Since moving into my own apartment that is literally upstairs from the PSU Farmer's Market, I have been exploring new ingredients. So last week I picked up a couple fuschia colored stalks of rhubarb, and then realized I had no idea what to do with them. Often, you see compotes, crisps and pies marrying the tartness of rhubarb and sweetness of strawberries. I thought a compote would be a nice way to top my morning pre-Zumba oatmeal, so I gave it a shot. You could also use this compote on top of ice cream, farina, or polenta. Feel free to sub out the brown rice syrup for honey or sugar.

Ingredients
1 cup of strawberries, hulled and chopped in quarters
2 stalks of rhubarb, cut into one inch pieces
1/4 cup of brown rice syrup (or honey, sugar, etc)
the juice from half a lemon

Method
Cook rhubarb and syrup in a small saucepan over medium high heat until tender, around 6-8 minutes. Add strawberries and cook over medium heat, letting the strawberries soften as well.When mixture resembles a jam of sorts, take off heat and add lemon juice.Mint might be a nice addition if you had it.
Serves 2-3 people.

Harissa Bloody Mary

*recipe published in the Daily Vanguard*

Harissa (a North African spice paste) has been showing up in a lot of my cooking these days.It's got a nice balance between smoke and spice, and adds a good kick to any traditional tomato dish. You can buy harissa at well-stocked grocery stores (Whole Foods, New Seasons or plenty of ethnic markets), or make your own by soaking dried chiles and then grinding them with spices in a coffee grinder.
Here's a harissa-laced breakfast beverage-I prefer gin myself, but feel free to use vodka. It's your thing, do what you wana do.

Harissa Bloody Mary

Ingredients
6 cups of R.W. Knudsen Family Very Veggie juice (or any other low-sodium tomato juice)
3 tablespoons of harissa paste
1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes
3 grinds of black pepper
2 tablespoons of horseradish
4 ounces of gin
The juice from one big lemon or two Meyer lemons
Several shakes of Worchester
1 tablespoon of salt
Celery sticks, green bean or asparagus for garnish
Ice

Method
Add ice to pitcher, filling up about halfway. Fill with gin or vodka. Add tomato juice and stir with large spoon. Stir in harissa, tasting along the way to fit your heat preferences. Add peppers, horseradish, lemon juice, Worchester and salt. Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish with celery, asparagus or green bean. Serves four.