In Season: Rhubarb
Photograph by La Tartine Gourmand
Around this time of year you can start to find fantastic rhubarb stalks in your local markets (its season is from April to September). This perennial vegetable related to buckwheat was first used for medicinal purposes in China as early as 2,700 B.C. Today, rhubarb is affectionately known as "the world's favorite pie plant," although it can be used in countless other recipes. The leaves of rhubarb can be toxic, but they are normally removed and cleaned before they are sold. Look for long, firm, and fleshy stalks for optimal taste and freshness. WIth a pucker that rivals that of the lemon and bountiful harvests arriving in markets near you, we have compiled some great recipes that feature rhubarb:
Rhubarb Recipes
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb Sauce
Chicken with Rhubarb and Onions [Sippity Sup]
Pickled Rhubarb [Sippity Sup]
Rhubarb Jelly
Rhubarb Margarita [Andrea's Recipes]
Rhubarb and Lavender Crumble
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
What are some of your favorite rhubarb recipes?
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13 Comments:
i just bake it in a pie plate with some sugar. when it's done, i let it cool and stir in some vanilla and some orange flower water. serve it cold with home made shortbread.
cybercita at 1:01PM on 05/09/09
When I was young we had a massive Rhubarb plant in the garden but it got so big it began to take over so we had to get rid of it, we used to have to rhubarb all the time
Edwardkimuk at 1:49PM on 05/09/09
My favorite rhubarb recipe is one my grandmother used to make. She'd call it rhubarb slop, but I couldn't eat enough of it.
It was simply rhubarb, and sugar, boiled until it fell apart. For a treat, she'd add fresh strawberries. I could eat the stuff by the spoonful.
CeeCee at 4:44PM on 05/09/09
Everything.
Rhubarb and strawberry pie or crumble. Rhubarb cake with a crumbly top. Rhubarb whoopie. Rhubarb cream pie. Rhubarb and cherries in puff pastry. Rhubarb sauce over pork or fish or chicken.
I love tart fruits, and this one is king.
sadiepix at 6:40PM on 05/09/09
haha, my bf calls rhubarb "bum weed" since it grows in the alley behind his house... thus rhubarb pies are "bum pies," which i find hilarious.
redzerostar at 12:59AM on 05/10/09
Should rhubarb always be pink? The only rhubarb we could find at the farmer's market this morning (at the Ferry Building in San Francisco) was nearly all green, with just a bit of pink near the end.
marchpane at 1:44AM on 05/10/09
Rhubarb Jelly - bake with some sugar and oj for an hour. Strain the juices and add your gelatin. Awesome. (recipe from Micheal Cranston's "Kitchen")
@marchpane - I think your rhubarb is ok. I've picked lots of the stuff and green stems are not unusual.
KimmieD at 9:45AM on 05/10/09
My favorite is this rhubarb mousse.
Kevin at 11:40AM on 05/10/09
@marchpane No, green's perfectly normal - it all tastes the same. I seem to see bright red on the smallest stalks when ours comes up. The rest are primarily pinky-green.
I like rhubarb fool, and I've been making it a lot. Really simple, and if you have too much, you can just freeze it and eat like an ice cream. =)
leilah at 8:43PM on 05/10/09
YAY! Rhubarb! The only edible thing that grows in my garden without ANY assistance from me WHATSOEVER!
SO psyched to see all these recipes here! I already have 10 jars of rhubarb-strawberry vanilla jam under my belt and the damn plant looks as if I never touched it!
I NEED MORE RECIPES!!
missbhavens at 1:27PM on 05/11/09
http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/02/big-crumb-coffee-cake/
Delicious, and such great texture. I can't wait for my first batch of rhubarb to dive into this recipe.
maggiepcs at 2:16PM on 05/14/09
I get my rhubarb from my friend, she has 2 plants, one's stalks are completely green, the other is slightly red at the root end.
The ones that my Mom grew had almost totally red stalks. WE kids would go pick a stalk, wash it off under the hydrant & munch away -- a tart treat that makes my mouth pucker just thinking about it.
I love jams, jellies, cakes (mom made this great Upside Down cake), sauce, & just about anything else you can think of. Plus the more you pick it, the more it produces, which means more delicious things to be made from it. I'm making jam this week to sell at the Farmer's Market in July.
MrsJackson at 3:46PM on 05/28/09
Here's a favorite recipe of mine: Rhubarb Surprise Pudding.
scott8035 at 12:11PM on 05/30/09