When you go to a farmers market in the spring, you'll probably find stalks of fresh, green to reddish-pinkish rhubarb stalks for sale, some with the big green leaves still attached. If you have never tried cooking with rhubarb, now is the perfect chance to try it out.
Rhubarb has a tart flavor and people usually cook it with other berries and sugar to offset the tartness in most recipes. Others love to just wash it and eat the stalks raw.
Rhubarb is used in pies, tarts, sauces and desert bars (be sure to check out the recipe below).
A Word of Caution
Eventhough the stalks are delicious, rhubarb leaves are poisonous. When you purchase it with the leaves attached, simply cut them off and toss them in the trash. Better yet, put them in your compost pile.
Extending the Bounty
Rhubarb is plentiful in the spring, but how can you enjoy it throughout the year? We recommend you read Preserving Rhubarb, from our friends at Penn State Extension. It covers canning and freezing, includes a great rhubarb pineapple sauce recipe.
Featured Recipe
- Combine strawberries, rhubarb and lemon in a saucepan and cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add sugar and cornstarch to fruit mixture, bring to boil, and allow to boil for a minute or two until sauce thickens.
- While the strawberry mixture is cooking, combine the crust ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1½ cups of crust mixture.
- Press the rest of the crust mixture into a 9 x 13 greased pan.
- Spread fruit mixture over bottom crust.
- Sprinkle the rest of crust mixture evenly over the top.
- Bake in a 350° oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let cool and cut into 24 squares.
Adapted from: Seacoast Growers’ Association
