The “canicule” is here.  Every summer we have one, a period of extreme heat that drives people to rivers, the seaside, the nearest swimming pool.  Today, bicycling back home from a dip in a friends’ pool I saw cars backed up for miles on the autoroute heading towards the coast.  When I got home, there were warnings on the radio advising everyone to drink plenty of water and avoid too much physical activity.

Fortunately, rhubarb is still in season and it’s still tart and juicy. I  came home with four fat stalks, picked fresh from the garden, and turned them into a spicy, gingery sauce which I poured over room temperature mackerel.  Sound odd?  Tasted great!  The tartness of the rhubarb, the sweet spiciness of the sauce, and the firm and delicious mackerel made a perfect combination.

And the simplicity of this dish, which took fifteen minutes to assemble was just the right formula for the “canicule.”