Rhubarb: Spring’s overlooked culinary gift

Over the years, I’ve passed many homes with huge beautiful rhubarb bushes languishing uncut and unused in that family’s kitchen. What a shame! I’ve been trying to tease a rhubarb plant into growing for me for 40 years. No dice. Don’t people realize what a culinary (as well as pretty) gift they are ignoring?

Too, did you know that the large leaves of rhubarb — though inedible, will serve as insurance against aphids when laid out at the bases of susceptible flowers and veggies?

Another specialty of rhubarb is its ease of freezing. Gather the stalks, wipe them clean, and cut them into 1-inch - or a bit larger – pieces, toss them into a freezer bag and they’re good for a surprisingly long haul, to use in any of today’s recipes. Check out the following recipes for some culinary surprises. We begin with the perfect dessert. Enjoy!

Rhubarb Oatmeal Bars

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup firm packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) butter, softened

3 cups rhubarb sauce (thickened w/cornstarch if necessary)*

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Set the oven to 375F. Lightly butter or oil a 3x9-inch baking pan. In a medium bowl, combine the first five ingredients (through salt). Add softened butter and stir with fork till mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Press half of the mixture into the bottom of a greased pan. Spread rhubarb sauce evenly over the crumb layer. Top with remaining crumbs, pressing gently to firm; sprinkle with walnuts.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and rhubarb is bubbly. Cool to room temperature before cutting.

* Rhubarb Sauce

3 cups diced rhubarb stalks

2 1/2 Tbsps. cornstarch

3/4 cup granulated cane sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2/3 cup water

2 Tbsps. butter

Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and water in a heavy saucepan. Mix well, add rhubarb.

Heat over high heat till thickening, then lower to med-high and boil, stirring constantly till thick and clear. Remove from heat, stir in butter.

If you wish, chill and serve in small dessert bowls as is. Delicious!

Rhubarb Cake

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sour cream or buttermilk

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups fine-chopped rhubarb

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Combine topping ingredients and set aside.

Set the oven at 350 degrees. Cream shortening and brown sugar. Add egg and blend well. Combine soda with sour cream/buttermilk and add alternately with flour. Stir in cut rhubarb, nuts and vanilla. Put in a greased 9x13-inch pan. Sprinkle with topping. Bake in a 350F oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve dolloped with whipped cream if you wish.

Pecan/Rhubarb Griddle Cakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (or walnuts)

3 Tbsps. pure cane granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup pureed rhubarb sauce (recipe above)

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. real butter, melted

Warmed whole rhubarb sauce, optional

In a medium bowl stir together flour, pecans, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, beat together rhubarb sauce, milk, eggs and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Using a scant 1/4-cup measure of batter for each cake, cook in a buttered non-stick or iron frypan over med-high heat, turning once to brown on both sides. Serve with whole (un-pureed) rhubarb sauce or maple syrup as desired, or simply sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Classic Rhubarb Pie

4 cups rhubarb, chopped

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated cane sugar

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

1/3 cup flour

1/8 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. real butter

Pastry for 9-inch double-crust pie

Toss rhubarb with sugars, lemon rind, flour and salt; let stand for 10 minutes. Set the oven to 425F. Line pie plate with bottom pastry crust.

When the fruit is ready, spoon evenly into the pastry, dot with butter. Cover with top crust.* Trim top and bottom crusts and pinch together with moistened fingertips, making sure to adhere to pie-plate. Cut slits in top crust for steam and/or decorate with designs from leftover crust if you wish. Sprinkle pie with a little coarse granulated sugar if you wish.

Bake for 40 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Let cool to room temperature before serving. I pass a bowl of crème fraiche (mix of 3/4 whipped cream and 1/4 sour cream) to dollop atop slices.

• You may choose to make a lattice crust; just make sure ends are firmly pinched to the bottom crust).

Our final offering is a “marriage made in heaven.” Rhubarb offers welcome tartness, while strawberries offer fragrant sweetness and they go together beautifully in this scrumptious pie.

Strawberry/Rhubarb Pie

9-inch prepared unbaked pie crusts for two-crust* pie

4 cups fresh cut rhubarb (small pieces)

3 cups sliced strawberries (small cuts)

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons plus 11/2 teaspoons quick-cooking tapioca

1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter

Glaze: 1 egg, beaten; 1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Make pie filling: Combine rhubarb and strawberries in a large bowl. Combine 1 1/3 cups sugar, flour, tapioca, orange peel, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Stir well. Add to fruit. Toss to coat.

Spoon filling into pie crust, dot with butter. Moisten pastry edge with water. Cover with top crust and pinch edges together in a pretty design. Cut slits or decorative designs in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush top crust with beaten egg white, then sprinkle with a tablespoon of sugar for glaze.

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until filling in the center is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Cover edge with foil if necessary to keep from overbrowning till pie is done. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

You may also cut top pastry into strips for a pretty lattice top if you wish. Be sure to pinch edges securely to the bottom pastry.

Valle Novak writes the Country Chef and Weekend Gardener columns for the Daily Bee. She can be reached at bcdailybee@bonnercountydailybee.com or by phone at 208-265-4688 for questions between the hours of 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. a 208-265-4688.