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Rhubarb's Not Just For Pie Anymore!
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Forget the
robin and the lilac bud. Rhubarb lovers know Spring is here when the first pink stalks
appear in the garden or supermarket produce department. In an era when people chatted over the fence rather than the Internet, back yards had rhubarb patches. They may not exist in many home gardens any more, but there is a big commercial industry to supply the demand for rhubarb, from early winter through early summer, with a peak from April to June. Rhubarb has been around for about 4,000 years, but used as a food only for the last few hundred. Native to Northern Asia, rhubarb was used for centuries for medicinal purposes. The first recipe using rhubarb has been traced to the 1783 "The London Art of Cookery," which suggests slicing the stalks and cooking them as you would gooseberries. The word rhubarb has even found a place in sports writing and, therefore, colloquial English, to describe an acidic, bitter dispute. It was originally a theater term: actors in mob scenes would say "rhubarb" over and over to simulate the angry, confused sounds of a mob. When shopping for rhubarb, look for firm, crisp, unblemished stalks with a lot of pink or red color, avoiding those that are very thick or wilted. Field-grown rhubarb, which has more pronounced flavor than the hothouse variety, is cherry red, while the latter type is pink. The leaves should be fresh looking and blemish-free, but, because they contain toxic oxalic acid, they should be discarded when the stalks are prepared for cooking. Rhubarb is highly perishable. If you're not using it right away, wrap raw rhubarb tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one week to preserve its crisp texture. One pound of raw rhubarb yields three cups of sliced rhubarb. Rhubarb is a vegetable, but it’s most often used like a fruit in desserts and sauces. The stalks have a tart flavor due to the oxalic acid present, which occurs in a much higher toxic concentration in the leaves, so never eat rhubarb leaves. Rhubarb is perhaps best known for its use in pies and tarts, often paired with strawberries, and although it has traditionally appeared in desserts, it is now turning up in soups, stews and other savory dishes. Chefs use its tart, piquant flavor to add a bright note to many dishes as well as sauces. RHUBARB
RELISH 2-1/2 cups packed brown sugar Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Cool; store in the refrigerator. Serve with poultry, pork or beef. Yield: 3-1/3 Cups. Per (2 Tbsp) Serving: 89 Cal;
Trace Fat; 23 g Carb; 35 mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Carb Choices.
GINGER-RHUBARB
CONSERVE 1 orange Place jars on rack in
boiler half-filled with boiling water, leaving space between jars. Add boiling water
to cover jars 2-inches above their tops, Bring to a boil, cover, and process 10 minutes.
Using tongs, lift jars (not by the lids) and set on towels with several inches between
them to cool. Makes 8 Jelly Jars.
RHUBARB SLUSH 3 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb In a saucepan, combine rhubarb, water and sugar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Cool for about 30 minutes. In a food processor or blender, purée mixture, half at a time. Stir in apple juice and lemonade. Pour into a freezer container; cover and freeze until firm. Let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes before serving. For individual servings, scoop 1/3 cup into a glass and fill with soda. To serve a group, place all of the mixture in a large pitcher or punch bowl; add soda and stir. Serve immediately. Makes 10 Servings. Per (1 cup) Serving: 159 Cal; Trace of Fat; 41 g Carb; 0 mg Cholesterol; 26 mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2-1/2 Starch; 1/2 Fruit & Veg. (3 Carb Choices).
ROSY
RHUBARB SALAD 3 cups sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb In a saucepan, cook and stir rhubarb and sugar over medium-low heat until rhubarb is soft and tender. Remove from the heat; add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Stir in lemon and pineapple juices. Chill until partially set. Stir in apples, celery and pecans. Pour into a 4-1/2 cup mold or glass bowl. Chill several hours or overnight. Yield: 8 Servings. Per Serving: 96 Cal; 1 g Total Fat; 21 g Carb; 0 mg Cholesterol; 42 mg Sodium; 2 g Protein. Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1/2 Veg/Fruit. (1-1/2 Carb Choices).
STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB
COMPOTE 3 cups strawberries Remove from heat; stir in
vanilla and lemon juice. Serve warm or cold, over waffles, pancakes or with yogurt. Makes
4 Servings.
RHUBARB
WALNUT MUFFINS 1/2 cup whole wheat flour Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Add rhubarb and nuts. In another bowl, combine milk, egg, and oil. Pour milk mixture into rhubarb and dry ingredient mixture. Mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups or an oiled/sprayed muffin tin. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 8 muffins. Tip: Fill empty muffin tins with water
in order for muffins to cook evenly.
SALMON
WITH RHUBARB SAUCE 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Wrap salmon in foil and bake until cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon butter over medium-high heat until hot but still golden. Sauté carrot, onion, rhubarb and shallot until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add wine or vinegar and boil until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add clam juice and simmer 15 minutes, until vegetables are very soft. In a large pot, place spinach, with any water clinging to leaves. Cover and cook over medium heat until spinach is wilted and just tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and set aside. Transfer vegetable mixture to a blender and purée. Gradually blend remaining butter into sauce. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Gently squeeze most of water from spinach. Arrange a bed of it on each of four plates. Add one-fourth of salmon to each plate. Spoon one-fourth of sauce over each serving of fish. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 241 Cal; 13 g Total Fat (4 g Sat Fat); 9 g Carb; 418 mg Sodium; 21 g Protein; 4 g Dietary Fiber. Exchanges: 1 Starch; 3 Meat; 3 Fat. (1 Carb Choice).
RHUBARB
PORK CHOP CASSEROLE 4 loin pork chops (3/4-inch thick), trimmed In a large skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, brown pork chops; season with pepper. Remove and keep warm. Combine 1/4 cup pan drippings (add water if necessary) with bread crumbs. Reserve 1/2 cup; sprinkle remaining crumbs into a 13- x 9- x 2-inch baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and rhubarb; spoon half over the crumbs in baking dish. Arrange pork chops on top. Spoon remaining rhubarb mixture over chops. Cover and bake at 350°F for 30-45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until meat juices run clear. Makes 4 Servings. Per Serving: 323 Cal; 7 g Total Fat (2 g Sat Fat): 42 g Carb; 55 mg Cholesterol; 200 mg Sodium; 24 g Protein. Exchanges: 2 Starch; 2 Meat; 1/2 Veg; 2 Fat. (3 Carb Choices).
BERRY
RHUBARB FOOL 3 cups sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb
(1-inch pieces) In a saucepan, combine rhubarb, sugar and orange juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Cool slightly. Pour cooled rhubarb into a blender container; cover and blend, until smooth. Chill. Just before serving, fold rhubarb mixture into whipped topping until lightly streaked. In six chilled parfait glasses, alternate layers of cream mixture and strawberries. Top with strawberries and a sprig of mint, if desired. Yield: 6 Servings. Per Serving: 128 Cal; 3 g Total Fat (3 g Sat Fat); 24 g Carb; 0 mg Cholesterol; 3 mg Sodium; 1 g Protein. Exchanges: 1-1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Fat. (1-1/2 Carb Choices).
RHUBARB-STRAWBERRY
CRUMBLE 4 cups rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch
pieces Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine rhubarb, strawberries and 1/3 cup sugar; stir well. Pour into an 11- x 7- x 2-inch baking dish. Combine remaining 1/3 cup sugar, flour, baking powder and salt; cut in margarine with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Yield: 6 Servings. Per Serving: 178 Cal; 4 g Total Fat; 35 g Carb; 0 mg Cholesterol; 122 mg Sodium; 91 mg Calcium; 2 g Protein. Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Fruit; 1 Fat. (2 Carb Choices).
RHUBARB
PUDDING FILLING: Cut rhubarb into 1-inch lengths and cover with boiling water; drain and stir in sweet cicely. Heat 1 Tablespoon butter and corn oil in a deep, 1-quart baking dish in a preheated 425°F oven; the fats should bubble but not brown. Beat egg whites lightly; beat in flour and milk. Pour mixture into hot dish; sprinkle rhubarb-sweet cicely mixture over the top, keeping it 1 inch from the edge of the pan. Return to oven; bake at
425°F for 20 minutes or until top is brown. Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in small nonstick
saucepan; stir in 2 Tablespoons brown sugar. Cook until syrupy; drizzle over the top of
the pudding. Serve topped with frozen yogurt. Makes 6 Servings.
BLINK-OF-AN-EYE
RHUBARB PIE 1 cup diced rhubarb Place diced rhubarb in a medium-size
bowl. Sift flour and baking powder over top. Add sugar, nuts, vanilla, and egg. Mix all
together and spread in a 9-inch pie plate sprayed with butter-flavor vegetable spray. Bake
25 to 30 minutes. Makes 6 delicious servings.
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