Rhubarb

Wow, I'd forgotten how much I love Rhubarb! I am gong to get some planted this year! And try to buy more of this yummy stuff! I made Rhubarb Crumble from Organette's blog site. My friend and fellow environmentalist--and overall advocate for healthier practices for people, animals and our world, Carilyn Booker shared this site with me and I found this recipe that really let t he rhubarb shine! And I just LOVE dessert.  




Rhubarb Crumble
(from Organette blog's recipes)

1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ cup muscovado (or light brown, if you prefer) sugar
½ cup rolled oats
6-7 Tbs canola oil (I used 6 T of butter melted)
1 lb rhubarb, cut into ¾-inch pieces
Scant ¾ cup granulated sugar
Zest of half an orange (I also squeezed the juice on the rhubarb)
½ tsp ground cinnamon
--In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, muscovado sugar, oats, and oil, mixing well with a spoon or your hands until the mixture holds together in clumps and all the flour is incorporated. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
In another bowl, combine the rhubarb with the granulated sugar, the remaining ¼ cup flour, orange zest, and cinnamon. Transfer the rhubarb mixture to an ovenproof baking dish, and distribute the oat topping evenly over the rhubarb. Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Serve warm, with good-quality vanilla ice cream.
Serves 4-6


Here are some more recipes shared by a writer as Navicor (Megan Riley), she is one of the CSA participants too! I can't wait to make these, especially the chutney!
Baked Rhubarb (Rhubarb Sauce)Here is classic from James Beard's "American Cookery",
that I am sure that someone in Lake Wobegon would try,
although the sour cream might only be added behind closed doors.. :^)
Ingredients:1-1/2 pounds rhubarb, peeled if necessary, and cut in 3 or 4 inch stalks
1/4 cup water
1 to 1-1/2 cups sugar
Dash of salt
Procedure:Arrange the rhubarb in a 1-1/2-quart casserole with a cover.
Add the water, sugar to taste, and salt. Cover tightly and bake at 350-degrees F.
20 to 25 minutes or until tender. Chill and serve. Cooked rhubarb is good served with
heavy cream or sour cream, with fresh strawberries if you like.
===========================================================
Microwave Rhubarb ChutneyThis has the added advantage of being quite quick to prepare, and won't heat up the kitchen in midsummer.
Ingredients:3 c Rhubarb; sliced
1 c Cider vinegar
1 c Sugar, brown, dark
1/2 ts Ginger, ground
1/2 ts Allspice
1/2 ts Mustard, dry
1/2 ts Cinnamon
1/4 ts Garlic powder
8 oz Dates; chopped
1/2 c Raisins
2 md Apples; peeled & chopped -(3 cups)
Procedure:In 2 quart glass bowl combine rhubarb, vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, allspice, mustard, and microwave
on high for 6 minutes or until boiling. Add dates, raisins, and apples. Do not cover. Microwave on high
6 minutes. Stir and microwave 6 more minutes. Stirring occasionally, let stand till barely warm.
Spoon into jars and refrigerate. Will thicken.

Yield: 5 pints===========================================================
Rhubarb Apple SauceIngredients:4-5 large sweet apples (I like golden delicious which are very sweet)
3 long, thick rhubarb stalks
1/2 pint strawberries
sweetener to taste (I use none)
water
Procedure:Peel and chop rhubarb. Core, peel and chop apple. Pick stems off strawberries.
Dump it all in a pot and add a little water (1/4 cup?) to prevent burning (once the apples start cooking
they will release their own liquid so the water is really needed because of the first minutes of cooking.)

Cook, covered, on a medium flame until boiling then turn heat down and tilt the cover a little
to let steam escape.

Stir occasionally.

Simmer until most of the apples have dissolved and the mix doesn't look too watery - around half and hour.
It's best to turn off the flame while the mix is still a little watery since more water will evaporate while
it is cooling down.
=====================================================