 May is always a month of memories for me in the kitchen. The elderflowers bring their daunting aroma, the rhubarb coming out of the still-cold soil brings joy with its bright taste, and the Nootka roses carry a scent that is purely nostalgic. After the months of winter marmalade and the fleeting spring dandelion confit ( a delicate, aromatic spread made by gently simmering whole flower petals in syrup to create a clear jelly ) rhubarb was always the jam that told me spring has finally arrived.
Rhubarb was the first jam I made when I started Le Meadow's Pantry thirteen years ago. I remember ordering several pounds from Camel's Back Harvest, a small family farm in Pemberton, BC, where they grew strawberries and the most ruby-red rhubarb. I had decided to make a rhubarb jam without the usual strawberries. I had made upside-down cakes and compote for my children many times, but turning rhubarb into a jam was something entirely new. I also quickly learned that you need a lot of rhubarb to make a few jars: those thick, long stalks melt almost instantly in the heat and you are soon left with not much. And although I usually cook jam on high heat as quickly as possible to preserve the fresh flavours of the fruit, rhubarb asked something different of me. A slow simmer, gentle stirring, enough patience to keep some pieces intact, that turned out to be the method I'd be using every spring for the next thirteen years. Now my friend Shirlene from Earth Apple Organic Farm in the Glen Valley supplies me with red rhubarb and elderflowers every spring. I use the red rhubarb with ginger, elderflowers, strawberries and Nootka roses. Miranda from Sweet Earth Farm grows the green rhubarb; a different cultivar with a smoother, less acidic taste that has become a favourite for many of you. Contrary to what many people think, green rhubarb isn't unripe, it doesn't start green and turn red; it is an entirely different variety. We have finished cooking the green rhubarb and are hopeful we made enough to last until the end of summer. We are still receiving and cooking the red rhubarb, and next week we will fold in the petals of Nootka roses for a gentle, fragrant taste of spring. The elderflowers were more elusive this year: the weather shifted too quickly, cold then warm then rain, leaving only a narrow window to harvest. We will have a limited amount of elderflower vinegar ready in early June. And since the elderflowers arrived before the rhubarb this season, we added them to the strawberry jam. At the markets The summer farmers markets are underway and if you are in Vancouver, you will find me at Trout Lake, West End and Kitsilano on weekends. It's still early in the season but you will find beautiful varieties of greens, wild and cultivated, the first strawberries, and of course, rhubarb. I notice a lot of people reaching for those shiny red stalks at the market, and then not quite sure what to do with them. If that is you, here are two simple ideas: sauté the stalks in a little butter and serve over fresh spinach, or turn them into a compote. Rhubarb Compote Rhubarb has a natural affinity for warm, fragrant flavours. Ginger, orange, angelica, vanilla, cardamom and mint are all wonderful companions; in the compote below, simply add one to the saucepan at the start of cooking if you'd like to experiment. A good compote finds the moment just after the rhubarb softens but before it disappears entirely into a purée. The natural acidity fades, the flavours settle into each other, and what remains should have some pieces intact and a deep, dark pink hue. Serves 4
Shop rhubarb Our rhubarb jams are available online and at the farmers market, or if you prefer, you are welcome to preorder and pick up at the market. It is rarely available in store and quantities are limited. Visit my market schedule here to find me this season. So many of you have taken the time to write and tell me you enjoy this newsletter. In a world of too much information, knowing that some of you will click and read my words fills my heart more than I can say. Thank you. With love from my kitchen, Geneviève
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 You will often find me at the farmers market on weekends. But what does it really mean, as a small producer, to set up shop in a parking lot under a canopy, rain or shine? The World Farmers Markets Coalition describes a farmers market as “a recurring and organized gathering where local farmers sell their fresh, locally grown and processed agricultural products directly to the consuming public — vibrant spaces for communities to connect with their food sources, foster relationships between consumers and producers, while supporting local economies and sustainable practices.” A beautiful definition. And an accurate one. Joining the market thirteen years ago was a chance to start something. Choosing to stay, after all this time, is something else entirely. It is an act of love for my community. Friday evenings are for preparing for the market. Loading the car with the tent, the tables, the display, the jars. Saturday mornings begin before the sun. Setting up in a dark, cold parking lot, watching the sky slowly lighten while waiting for the first customers. And on rainy days — which in Vancouver are plentiful through the long winter months — those first customers may arrive late, or not at all. Would you blame them? It takes courage and commitment to shop outdoors in all kinds of weather. It takes the same to show up and sell. Over the years, I have learned what it truly takes to bring a farmers market to life. The work behind the scenes is enormous, and largely invisible to the public. A few years ago, I joined the board of the Vancouver Farmers Market, and more recently, the board of the British Columbia Association of Farmers Markets. This has deepened my understanding of what a local food system really means and the importance of access to fresh, quality food for everyone in our communities. When you shop at your local farmers market, you are doing more than buying groceries. You are strengthening a local economy. You are meeting the people who grew and made your food , shaking hands with the producer, exchanging a few words, a recipe, a smile. These small moments matter more than we often realize. April at the Market It is still too early for the first fruit and berries, and my freezers are now emptied of last summer’s harvest. So what am I working on these days? The delicate first flowers are making a brief and luminous appearance before the season moves on and the heat of summer wilts them. Violets, flowering currants, dandelion and later this month, rose petals, are slowly finding their way into jars, the way good things do. These flower jellies are made from cold infusion, a process that takes several days. Because these flowers grow wild and in small abundance, each batch is extremely limited. They will appear gradually on my website and at the market over the coming weeks and months. And today at the market, I saw the first stems of rhubarb. So many of you have already been asking, and I understand why. Rhubarb is a beautiful and singular flavour, one that belongs entirely to this moment in the year. The rhubarb and elderflower jams will follow in May. See you at the market, Geneviève P.S. Thank you for choosing handmade. Every jar you bring home keeps this slow, seasonal work alive. |
AuthorGeneviève marmalade and jam maker at Le Meadow's Pantry, Vancouver BC Archives
May 2026
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