The spring vegetable that thinks it's a fruit
bright red, crisp rhubarb Rhubarb (pronounced ROO-barb), once widely regarded as one of spring’s first harvests, was often cooked and eaten as a fruit when actually it’s the petiole of a very large, toxic leaf. Interesting isn't it that one of the first crops of spring is partly poisonous? Do you know if something is a fruit or a vegetable?
The stalk, the petiole, is edible, and ranges in color from light green to pink to brilliant red. The large, crinkly leaves at the ends of the stalk are poisonous because of their high concentration of oxalic acid. If you purchase rhubarb from a market, it will most likely have the leaves cut off.
This delicious plant came from a long journey through history from Asia. Its zinging tart flavor is often tempered with a sweetener. If you like sweet-tart flavors, rhubarb is on your to-eat list. Because of this puckering disposition, rhubarb is often found in pies, crisps, sauces, and other desserts.
Growing up, my family knew spring was firmly present when rhubarb would be served in a pie or stewed into a sweet sauce. Rhubarb stalks are harvested from very late winter to very early summer depending upon the climate.
Rhubarb, for some reason, has fallen out of use and now seen as an oddity although it is almost fool-proof to grow. Rhubarb, once established, will sprout up new petioles with leaves every year. The color of the stalks, which range from celery-green to ruby red, doesn’t indicate “ripeness”, it is purely a matter of personal preference. Most rhubarb eaters are attracted to the cheery red stalks.
Rhubarb is ideal in cooking for one person.
- It is sold by individual stalks, so you can buy as little as you want.
- Little preparation is needed - just wash and cut
- Use it like cooked fruit
Tips:
- If your rhubarb is slightly flimsy and not quite rigid, cut off a little bit at the end. Stick the cut end in a glass of water large enough to support the stalk. The water will move the petiole through osmosis stiffening the rhubarb.
- How much sweetener should you add? Take a tiny taste of the rhubarb and let your taste be your guide of how sweet-tart you would like it. You can use white sugar, honey, brown rice syrup or agave syrup.
- Much like its other elongated spring counterpart, asparagus, rhubarb can be bought thin or thick. It is a matter of personal preference.
How to use it for one person:
Make a personal rhubarb crisp for dessert. A great introduction for the person cooking for one. rhubarb crisp
roasted rhubarb with honey, a little water, and a touch of butterRhubarb can be cut into finger-length pieces, drizzled with honey, dotted with a small pat of butter, and a little water and slowly baked in the oven (350 degrees F until very tender) and serve alongside a pork chop or a ham slice. Pig and rhubarb make a great combination.
rhubarb and strawberries over vanilla puddingStew chopped rhubarb in a saucepan with a little water and your desired amount of sweetener over low heat until the rhubarb is very soft yet keeps its shape. Turn off the heat. Fold in cut and hulled, fresh strawberries into the hot rhubarb. The residual heat will gently cook the strawberries without them becoming overly mushy. Spoon the saucy mixture over custard, pudding, ice cream, plain cake, biscuit, hot oatmeal, or whatever you wish.
Think of what other ways could you use it. Experiment.
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