A stalk of rhubarb was a treat, when we were kids. Plucked straight from the garden, we would eat the stalk as we strolled through back yards, crunching, munching, not daring to grimace at the SOUR taste that shocked our young and innocent palates. Don’t let them see! Keep a straight face, at all costs!
Someone, I don’t remember who, came outside with a fistful of white sugar. She dipped her stalk of rhubarb in the sugar, then she bit into it… We didn’t scorn her. She couldn’t stand the SOUR (and neither could we, truly) but she had the nerve – the audacity! – to come outside with a fistful of white sugar. (Where was her mother?)
She was braver than us, wilder than us, possibly smarter than us. We were strong, maybe, because we ate the rhubarb STRAIGHT, but – maybe strong wasn’t as wild as a fistful of white sugar.
This photo shows rhubarb very early in the season… but give it time, it will grow! jl
Here are a few fav rhubarb recipes!
Rhubarb Custard Pie
I found this recipe in a cookbook loaned to me by my neighbour!
½ cup sugar
¼ cup flour
¼ tsp nutmeg
dash of salt
3 eggs
4 cups chopped rhubarb (1/2 to 1 inch pieces)
Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, and salt. Add 3 beaten eggs and beat until smooth. Stir in rhubarb.
Pour into 9” deep dish pie crust. Add lattice top.
Bake at 400 degrees, ~ 50 minutes.
Enjoy!
Rhubarb Muffins
This recipe came to me from my Mom!
1 ¼ cup flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cup sugar (I use raw cane sugar)
1 ½ cup diced rhubarb
1 egg
½ cup milk
¼ cup oil
1 tsp almond flavouring
Mix dry ingredients.
Beat egg, add milk, oil and flavouring.
Pour egg mixture over dry ingredients and stir just to moisten.
Fold in rhubarb.
Pour into a 12-muffin tin.
Sprinkle with sugar before baking.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
Rhubarb Compote
I found this recipe in a magazine and promptly modified it…
4 cups chopped rhubarb
¼ cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp (more or less) grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp (more or less) finely chopped crystalized ginger
Put it all into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
That’s it!
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