The sections below were copied with permission from Mi Ae Lipe’s Tastes from the Valley to Bluff: The Featherstone Farm Cookbook (2008). 

Storage

Wrap unwashed rhubarb stalks in a plastic bag and refrigerate in the vegetable crisper, where it will keep up to 10 days.

Complementary Herbs, Seasonings, & Foods

Apples, berries, brandy, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, cream, fruit, ginger, oranges, pepper, plums, sour cream, strawberries, sugar.

Serving Suggestions

• Stewed rhubarb or rhubarb sauce or chutney makes a great counterpoint to hearty meats like duck, roast beef, corned beef, or Rock Cornish game hen.

• A light, tangy, and sweet rhubarb sauce makes a delectable topping for ice cream, pudding, custard, or pound cake.

• Top your breakfast cereal with sweetened rhubarb.

• Try English trifle with a twist, substituting the traditional strawberries with rhubarb prepared with cherries or raspberries.

• An early spring treat is a snack of washed, raw rhubarb stems and a bowl of sugar for dipping. As simple as can be, on a warm spring day.

• Add a sophisticated touch to stewed rhubarb or rhubarb sauces with the addition of fruit-flavored liqueurs (Grand Marnier, kirsch, Midori, or apple schnapps), brandy, port wine, or rosewater.

• Combine rhubarb with kumquats or oranges for a tasty chutney.

• Add very thin slices of rhubarb to spring soups or salads, or anywhere a bit of tartness is welcome.

Links

Cook out of the Box - Focus: Rhubarb

Cook out of the Box - Focus: Strawberries

Cook out of the Box - Tried and True: Rhubarb Sauce - good for toast, ice cream, yogurt, and anything else that sounds good to you!

Cook out the Box - Rhubarb Cake

Cook out of the Box - Hands On: Buttermilk Scones

Cook out of the Box - Hands On: Bakery in You Kitchen

Cook out of the Box - Hands On: Oat Cakes

Cook out of the Box - Hands On: Pie Crust

Cook out of the Box - Hands On: Homemade Yogurt

Cook out of the Box - Dig In: Yogurt

Recipes

Balsamic Rhubarb Compote

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2/3 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 fresh rhubarb stalks, leaves discarded, ends trimmed, and stalks cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, or 2 cups frozen sliced rhubarb, thawed, reserving liquid

1. In a saucepan, simmer the vinegar with the sugar and ginger, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

2. Then stir in the rhubarb (with reserved liquid if using frozen). If you are using fresh rhubarb, simmer it until it is crisp-tender, about 1 minute, and transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl, keeping the liquid behind in the pan. If you are using frozen rhubarb, transfer the rhubarb with a slotted spoon to a bowl as soon as the mixture returns to a simmer, keeping the liquid behind in the pan.

3. Simmer the liquid until it thickens slightly, about 5 minutes, and then remove the pan from heat. Stir in the rhubarb. Serve the compote warm or at room temperature.

Credit: Fruits and Veggies - More Matters; Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

Rhubarb Sauce

This is on the tart side. You can always add a bit more sugar to taste. I do not add any extra water because I prefer my rhubarb sauce on the thick side. If you want a thinner sauce – or a soup – just add some water or even orange juice.

8 cups rhubarb, cut into ½ inch pieces (You can substitute chopped strawberries for about 2 cups of rhubarb. Add those near the end of cooking.)

1 ½ cups sugar

2 ¼ inch slices fresh ginger, optional

Mix together rhubarb and sugar in a nonreactive cooking pot. Let stand about half an hour. Stir a few times and add the ginger if you are using it. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat. Simmer gently just until rhubarb is tender. Best served chilled. This will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. It is good eaten plain or served on top of plain cake or ice cream. It can also be the fruit base for a cobbler or simply spread on toast or served with a dollop of plain yogurt.

Credit: Cook out of the Box - Focus: Rhubarb

Rhubarb Ketchup 

This is the recipe used by Lanesboro’s Bethlehem Lutheran Church youth group every year at the Rhubarb Festival. It is great on hot dogs.

Ingredients

4 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb

3 medium onions, chopped

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes, undrained

2 t. salt

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 T. pickling spice (tied in a cheesecloth bag or in a strainer ball)

Mix all ingredients in a large nonreactive pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 1 hour until thickened. Cool. Refrigerate in covered containers. Yields about 6-7 cups.

Credit: Cook out of the Box - Focus: Rhubarb

Rhubarb Custard Pie

3 Eggs

3 T. Milk

2 C. Sugar (note from Peggy: You could cut this back to 1 1/2 cups if you wanted to.)

1/4 C. Flour

3/4 tsp. Nutmeg

4 C. Rhubarb, cut up

1 T. Butter

9 Inch Pie Crust and Top

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Beat eggs slightly and add milk. Mix sugar, flour and nutmeg; stir in. Mix in rhubarb. Pour into pastry lined pie pan. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust. Brush top crust with 1 T. milk. Bake 50-60 minutes until nicely browned. Serve warm or cold.

Credit: Cook out of the Box - Focus: Rhubarb

Rhubarb Cake

Ingredients for cake

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or 1 cup each white flour and whole wheat pastry flour)

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

1 cup buttermilk (or maybe a bit more if the flour is on the dry side)

2 cups cut up rhubarb (about 1/2 inch slices)

Cream together butter and sugars.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Mix together all dry ingredients.  Add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk in two or three portions.  When batter is uniformly mixed, fold in rhubarb.  Spread in greased 9 x 13 baking pan.  Sprinkle on topping and bake at 350 degrees about 40 minutes or until firm to the touch in the center and lightly browned on the sides.

Streusel topping:  mix together 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup brown sugar until crumbly.  I like to add about 1/2 cup chopped black walnuts - the flavor is very compatible with rhubarb.  If you like nuts and don't have access to black walnuts, try English walnuts, almonds or even hazelnuts.  There is getting to be a small hazelnut growing industry in SE Minnesota and it is worth seeking out some Minnesota Grown hazelnuts.

Credit: Cook out the Box - Rhubarb Cake

Rhubarb Crisp

Cut rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces.  Add about 3 T. sugar per cup of rhubarb.  Mix well and put rhubarb into a baking pan.  Sprinkle with topping.  Bake at 375 degrees about 1/2 hour - until top is browned and rhubarb is bubbling.

Topping:  mix together until crumbly:  1 cup flour (white or whole wheat), 3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats, 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 t. ground cinnamon, a pinch of salt and 1 stick of butter, cut into small pieces. (Tip - double this recipe and freeze extra.  Use with any fresh fruit for a quick dessert.)

Credit: Cook out of the Box 2010 - Week 1

Rhubarb Sauce

5 cups rhubarb (can be fresh or frozen), cut into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces

1 cup sugar

one or two 1/4 inch slices of fresh ginger (optional)

Mix rhubarb and sugar (and ginger if you are using it) in a non reactive saucepan and let sit about an hour.  Bring fruit slowly to a boil and simmer, uncovered, until rhubarb is soft but still retains some shape - about 10 minutes.  Taste - add a bit more sugar if desired.  Cool.  Store in refrigerator or freeze.

If you want to add strawberries or raspberries, do so about one or two minutes before you stop the cooking process.

Credit: Cook out the Box - Tried and True: Rhubarb Sauce

Rhubarb Cobbler 

This dish is easy.  First make some rhubarb sauce.  See recipe here (or above): Cook out the Box - Tried and True: Rhubarb Sauce.

Put about 3/4 cup rhubarb sauce per person in a baking dish.  Make a simple biscuit dough, adding a little extra sugar.  Drop spoonfuls of dough on top of the sauce.  Bake at 400 degrees until sauce is bubbling and biscuits are browned and cooked through. Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, yogurt or plain.

If you need some help with the biscuit part - check these links: Cook out the Box - Hands On: Buttermilk Scones and Cook out the Box - Hands On: Bakery in You Kitchen.

Credit: Cook out of the Box 2011 - Week 2

Rhubarb Crisp

Cut rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces.  Add about 1 1/4 cups of sugar per 6 cups of rhubarb.  Or 3/4 cup sugar for 3 cups rhubarb.  Mix well and put rhubarb into a baking pan large enough so rhubarb is not more than about an inch deep.  Sprinkle with topping.  Bake at 375 degrees about 1/2 hour - until top is browned and rhubarb is bubbling.

Topping:  Mix together until crumbly:  1 cup flour (white or whole wheat pastry), 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats, 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 t. ground cinnamon, a pinch of salt and 1 stick of butter, cut into small pieces.  Optional - add chopped toasted nuts.  (Tip - double this recipe and freeze extra.  Use with any fresh fruit for a quick dessert.)

Credit: Cook out of the Box 2011 - Week 1

Last updated on March 16, 2012 by Featherstone Farm