Rhubarb Strawberry Compote

Test Kitchen Notes

Riva's recipe is appealing in its straightforwardness: all she calls for are 1 pound of strawberries, 1 pound of rhubarb, sugar (1 3/4 cups of it) and water. While I loved the concept, her compote was a little sweet for my taste, and I had some ideas for a possible riff. The second time around, I added less sugar (I used turbinado, which I think gives the compote a caramel undertone), infused the compote with some orange peel, and splashed in a glug or two from the open bottle of rosé that was lying around in my fridge. The compote, cooked just until the fruit started to fall apart but had not yet become a complete mush, was tart and fresh, perfumed with the oils from the orange peel, and it had just enough sweetness to keep your mouth from puckering. —Merrill Stubbs