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My friend and coworker Melanie Marshall
– one of the most health-conscious of all – happened
to mention on Monday her excitement over the recent seasonal opening
of the Watauga County Farmers’ Market. Her visit to the market
last Saturday resulted in lots of goodies, one of which she brought
to work for her mid-day snack. No, I’m not talking about
that wonderful bread you can find there every week, or even a
luscious piece of sweet fruit, but chunks of bright red stalks
of rhubarb, appropriately accompanied by a little baggie of sugar
for dipping.
Many enjoy this stout, coarse perennial with its large leaves
and small clusters of flowers, and look forward to its arrival
each year. I still have clear memories of my mother and grandmother
cutting it up and putting on the stove to cook, and loading it
down with sugar, and I believe a little cinnamon and butter.
Historical accounts say that as early as 1778, rhubarb made its
way to America, migrating from older and colder countries by way
of Italy. Early pioneers learned that while the stalk is edible,
the leaves are poisonous.
Look for crisp, plump, medium-size stalks; wrap it in a damp paper
towel and place in an airtight container in refrigerator to keep
fresh for at least a week.
Rhubarb grows so abundantly that if you have your own, you may
be forced to drop a bunch on your neighbor’s porch, almost
like you do zucchini! But, there are ways to keep it for winter’s
enjoyment, so don’t think you have to get rid of it all at
once.
You can freeze rhubarb, whole or sliced, by packing in a moisture-proof,
freezer-proof container or bag, leaving about ½-inch headspace.
Then, even in the middle of winter, you can enjoy its springtime
taste in cakes, pies, muffins, etc.
In all recipes, frozen rhubarb can be substituted for the fresh;
just be sure to drain on a paper towel before using.
Rhubarb Upside Down Cake
¼ cup butter
¾ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. orange juice
4 cups rhubarb, cut in ½ inch pieces
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. white sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup orange juice
¾ cup milk
Preheat oven to 350. Place ¼ cup butter
in a 9- inch round or 8- inch square baking pan and put in the
oven until the butter is melted. Remove from the oven and stir
in the brown sugar and 1 tablespoon orange juice. Arrange rhubarb
in rows in the sauce. Make 2 layers of rhubarb. In a medium bowl
mix the flour, baking powder, salt and white sugar. Cut in 1/3
cup butter in small pieces, Mix egg, ¼ cup orange juice
and milk together. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until just
combined. Spread batter over the rhubarb. Push it out to touch
all sides of the pan and completely cover the rhubarb.
Bake 30-35 minutes. Test the center of cake with cake tester or
toothpick to ensure that it is cooked through. Cool on a rack
for 10 minutes, then invert the pan over a serving plate and carefully
turn it out. Serve warm.
Rhubarb Pie
4 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups sliced strawberries
¼ cup plain flour
1½ cups sugar
¼ tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbsp. butter
Pastry for 1-crust pie
Additional sugar to sprinkle
Combine sugar, flour and nutmeg; mix with fruit. Pour mixture
into 1½ qt. baking dish; dot with butter and top with crust.
Cut steam vents in crust and sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake
at 425 degrees until crust is brown and filling is bubbly, about
30-minutes.
Rhubarb Blueberry Crumble
¾ cup rolled oats or quick cooking oats
(not instant)
3 Tbsp. wheat germ
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
¼ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2 Tbsp. chopped pecans
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup soft margarine
Filling
2½ cups sliced rhubarb, cut into ½” pieces
2½ cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (don’t defrost
frozen berries)
1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
½ tsp. cinnamon
1½ Tbsp. cornstarch
Preheat oven to 350.
Topping
Combine oatmeal, wheat germ, flour, brown sugar, pecans and
cinnamon in a bowl and mix well. Work in margarine with a fork
until margarine is well distributed and all dry ingredients are
moist
Filling
Combine rhubarb and blueberries in a bowl; stir together
brown sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch; sprinkle over fruit and
toss well; spoon into a lightly greased baking dish. Sprinkle
topping mixture evenly over fruit. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until
fruit is soft and topping golden. Serve warm.
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