Don't be afraid to go out on a limb. It's where all the fruit is.

Fruit and Oatmeal Bars

Time:
About 50 minutes, plus time cooling

Ingredients:

* 6 tablespoons grapeseed oil, or other neutral oil, plus extra for brushing pan
* 2 cups rolled oats
* ½ cup mixed seeds, such as pumpkin, sunflower and sesame
* ½ cup honey
* ½ cup dark brown sugar
* 1/3 cup maple syrup
* Pinch of salt
* 1 ½ cups mixed dried fruit, such as raisins, cherries, apricots, papaya, pineapple and cranberries (at least 3 kinds, cut into small pieces if large)
* 1 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
* 2 tablespoons of butter

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch-square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, letting a few inches hangs over side of pan. Brush with oil
2. Spread oats and seeds on another baking pan and toast in oven just until golden and fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes, shaking pan once.
3. In a saucepan, combine oil, butter, honey, brown sugar, maple syrup and salt. Stir over medium heat until smooth and hot. In a mixing bowl, toss together toasted oats and seeds, dried fruit and cardamom. Pour hot sugar mixture over and stir until well combined.
4. While mixture is warm, transfer to prepared pan, pressing into pan evenly with an offset spatula.
5. Bake until brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a rack and let cool completely. Using the overhanging foil or paper, lift out of pan and place on a work surface Cut into bars, about 1 ½ inches by 3 inches.

A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch

Rhubarb-Ricotta Tart

1 pound rhubarb, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar, divided use
1/2 of a 17.2 ounce package frozen puff pastry (one sheet), thawed for 30 minutes
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten


Combine rhubarb and 1 1/4 cup brown sugar in a large saucepan. Cook over low heat until syrup forms, and rhubarb is tender but not falling apart, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes. Pour rhubarb mixture into colander, set over a large bowl. Cover colander and chill juices and rhubarb overnight.

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll out pastry sheet on floured surface to a 12” square. Place pastry on prepared baking sheet and pierce all over with fork. Bake five minutes. Remove from oven and flatten with spatula.

Return pastry to oven and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes longer.

Blend ricotta and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Brush pastry with beaten egg. Leaving 1/2 inch plain border, spread cheese mixture over pastry. Bake about 10 minutes. Remove to cooling rack.

Preheat broiler. Pour rhubarb juices into small saucepan. Boil until reduced to thick syrup, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Spread rhubarb 3/4 inch thick on rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar. Broil until top is crisp and dark brown in spots, about 4 minutes.

Spoon the broiled rhubarb over tart. Cut into four pieces, drizzle with rhubarb syrup, and serve.