Eat In Season: Rhubarb by Rev. Carol A. Ingle (Raven)

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Rhubarb is one of our first spring treasures — a “fruit” before our other favorite fruits come along. Its tart tang can be tamed by almost anything sweet, and in turn rhubarb enhances the flavors of other foods. The classic pairing is with strawberries, but it also brings out the best in citrus. This is why you’ll often see rhubarb cropping up in recipes that find a delicious balance in the interplay of sweet and sour. On the herbal side, rhubarb is especially good buddies with ginger and pie spices like cloves and allspice.

For its diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties, rhubarb has long been used in natural medicine. But perhaps of more interest, it is low in calories yet high in calcium (almost a third of your recommended daily amount) and potassium, plus plenty of vitamins, minerals, fiber, folate and iron. All in all, rhubarb is excellent and now is the time to enjoy it.

Botanically, rhubarb is a vegetable. Related to celery, rhubarb’s long, ribbed, red stalks are crisp when raw, but cook down into a better-than-it-looks thick mush that’s perfect for preserves, relishes, chutneys and sauces. The red stalks are evidence of the immune-boosting anthocyanin pigments in rhubarb. Some harder to find varieties, such as ‘Early Champagne,’ have green stalks (they taste similar), but if you want to try those, you’ll probably have to grow them yourself. Lucky for you: Rhubarb is a cold-hardy perennial, and it’s easy to grow. Plus, its leaves and roots naturally produce a toxic compound called oxalic acid that helps ward off predators. (Note: Only the stems are edible.) Rhubarb stores quite well in the freezer — just wash and cut it into manageable pieces, then store in freezer bags to use until you have access to fresh rhubarb again.

The most common — and commonly beloved — preparation of rhubarb is in classic strawberry-rhubarb pie. In fact, rhubarb is known affectionately as “pie plant.” But because you can find hundreds of free recipes online for strawberry-rhubarb pie, I’ve decided to explore a few of rhubarb’s other culinary possibilities: as an unusual pickle, a tangy salad dressing and a wonderfully unique dessert topping. But no serious lover of rhubarb would dare snub the strawberry, and I bet you’ll love the creamy, citrusy-ey strawberry-rhubarb cobbler, too. If you want to get even more adventurous, try making refreshing effervescent rhubarb wine or a unique and tasty rhubarb cocktail. Happy spring and bon appetit!

Refreshing Rhubarb Cocktail

Ingredients:

2 ounces gold rum (Try Flor de Cana, 4-year.)
1 ounce fresh lime juice
3 ounces pomelo juice (You can substitute fresh red grapefruit juice.)
1 ounce rhubarb-pomegranate syrup
1 ounce club soda
1 piece candied rhubarb

Mix rum and juices in a tall Collins glass with crushed ice. Float the syrup over the ice, and add club soda. Garnish with a piece of candied rhubarb.

Rhubarb-Pomegranate Syrup

1 pound fresh or frozen rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 quarts filtered water
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
Zest from 2 oranges
1/2 cup pomegranate juice

Bring water to a boil and add rhubarb. Let simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except pomegranate juice. Simmer on medium heat until the liquid has reduced by half. Strain and return to pot. Add sugar and pomegranate juice. Reduce by half again. Set aside 1 cup for candied rhubarb. Let cool.

Candied Rhubarb

6 stalks rhubarb
1 cup rhubarb syrup
1/2 cup superfine sugar

Bring a pot of water to boil. Cut the rhubarb into 7 inch pieces, and quarter or half lengthwise depending on thickness of stalks. Blanch the rhubarb in the boiling water for about 45 seconds. Remove from boiling water and immerse in an ice bath. Remove from ice, and dredge in rhubarb syrup. Once thoroughly coated, place on wire mesh cooling rack and dust both sides with sugar. Place in the refrigerator to let the sugar set. Use as a garnish in the rhubarb cocktail, or enjoy as a sweet-tart snack.

Sticky Ginger Candied Rhubarb Recipe

Feel free to substitute your favorite sweetener, such as honey or agave syrup, for the raw sugar. If you like a smoother consistency dessert topping, you can purée the finished product in a food processor.

Ingredients:

Rhubarb

Water (about 1/4 cup for every two stalks of rhubarb)
Raw sugar (1 tbsp per two stalks)
Fresh ginger, grated (1 tbsp per two stalks), optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut rhubarb into 1-inch pieces, plus 1 or 2 longer pieces for an attractive garnish. Then spread the pieces out one-layer deep in a baking dish.

Pour water over rhubarb pieces until about halfway submerged, then sprinkle ginger and sugar evenly over the top.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until quite soft, turning a couple of times during baking.

Spoon warm (or chilled) rhubarb and its sticky-yummy juices over shortbread, pound cake, ice cream, brownies or anything your heart desires!

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler Recipe

This recipe is adapted from Recipes from the Garden by Rosalind Creasy (Tuttle, 2008). To order, visit Mother Earth Shopping.

For the filling:

6 to 8 stalks rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
2/3 cup raw sugar
1 tbsp orange or lemon zest
1 tbsp salted butter
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups sliced strawberries

For the batter:

1 3/4 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp salted butter, chilled
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp raw sugar, divided
3/4 cup half-and-half
2 tbsp orange or lemon zest, divided

Topping:

1 cup heavy cream whipped with 1 tbsp sugar until soft peaks form (optional)

To make filling: In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the rhubarb, sugar, and 1 tablespoon zest until the rhubarb begins to soften and exude juices, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and flour and bring to a boil while stirring. Cook for about 1 minute. Add the sliced strawberries. Remove from heat and pour the fruit mixture into a deep 10-inch pie dish.

To make batter: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces. With a fork or pastry cutter, cut the chilled butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar and blend. Slowly incorporate the half-and-half with a fork. Spoon the dough over the fruit mixture in the pie dish. Mix 2 tablespoons sugar and the remaining zest, and sprinkle it over the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool slightly and serve with or without whipped cream. Serves 6.

Pickled Rhubarb Recipe

An interesting take on traditional pickles, tangy pickled rhubarb is a great addition to cheese platters or a condiment for charcuterie and roasted meats.

Ingredients:

2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups raw sugar
1 tbsp coarse sea salt
1 1/2-inch knob ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
Small handful dried chili peppers
Small handful whole cloves
Small handful whole allspice
1 pound rhubarb

Instructions:

Boil vinegar, sugar, salt, ginger and spices until sugar and salt dissolve (approximately 5 minutes after coming to a boil). Strain out the solids, and set aside.

Cut rhubarb into batons long enough to fill the jar. (For half-pint jars, cut stalks into 4-inch pieces.)

Pack rhubarb into sterilized jars with a few bits of the reserved solid spices.

Pour hot liquid over jars, screw on lids, and allow to cool.

Refrigerate for up to one month. Note: It’s best to treat rhubarb as a refrigerator pickle, as the canning process will soften the fruit to mush.