Spring Affirmed – Rhubarb!

            We may have been fooled by all those warm days in March, but when the rains finally came and everything greened up with a vengeance, the rhubarb clump in front of our mudroom finally shot up and convinced me that spring is truly here. The robin may be the official spring harbinger in the North, but solid evidence of real spring for me are those sturdy red and green stalks holding up elephant ear sized rhubarb leaves.

Subconsciously I’m probably responding to ingrained cues from nature to humans in northern climes, having survived the winter and looking for first edible fruits of spring. Rhubarb leaves are inedible, but the very tart stalks are full of vitamins and can be eaten in various forms.  As a child I recall happily munching on the end of the raw stalk of rhubarb early in the spring. These days my mouth puckers up with just the memory of it. Instead I would prefer dipping the stalk in sugar, or better yet,  prepare several stalks in some delicious cooked dish.

Rhubarb arrives to perk up our taste buds long before strawberries.  It lingers on with care until hot weather, when it flowers and gets tough. But early June is the perfect time for strawberry-rhubarb pie. Because fresh strawberries are now available in supermarkets from the South as early as February, we don’t even have to wait for our local strawberries. However, I prefer to wait for a while and explore some of the various desert preparations where rhubarb remains as the acknowledged star.

                        Rhubarb compote

The quickest and easiest way to prepare a rhubarb desert is to stew it with a small amount of liquid and sugar until it becomes soft and gives a thick compote. Cut up 6 large washed and trimmed stalks of rhubarb in about 1 inch pieces. Place in a heavy pot with ½ cup water and ¾ cups raisins. Bring to boil, reduce heat and with occasional stirring cook for about 10 minutes until rhubarb becomes soft. Stir in 1 cup sugar and continue to cook for another 5 minutes with occasional stirring. Remove from heat, cool and serve in small bowls. For additional flavor and effect top with a bit of whipped cream or a spoonful of ice cream.

                        Rhubarb crisp

This is really a pie without the crust for those of us who need to count our calories. Take the cut up rhubarb and raisins as in the above recipe and in a bowl toss with 3/4 cup of sugar in which you have stirred in 1 Tblsp. cornstarch. Turn into a buttered pie plate. Top with a crumble: ½ cup flour, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ tsp cinnamon, 4 Tblsp. butter. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes until the mixture is bubbling and top is browned.  Serve warm or cold.

Early settlers folded some rhubarb in coffee cakes or sweet breads. This gives the bread extra moisture in addition to a subtle tart flavor. But to really give rhubarb star showing it needs to go in a real pie. My favorite for years has been a rhubarb-dried cherry pie, since the cherries complement the tart flavor of rhubarb. However, the ultimate version of this, Rhubarb Cream Pie, comes from my friend Elizabeth Lenz out West. The flavor blend in this version, which I have modified but slightly, is incredible.

                        Rhubarb cream pie

Place the bottom layer crust in a 9 inch pie plate. Cover with 3 cups rhubarb cut in ½ inch pieces and ¾ cups dried cherries (raisins would work here as well). In a small bowl beat lightly 2 large eggs with 1 ½ cups sugar, 3 Tblsp. flour, ½ tsp. nutmeg, ½ tsp. dried lemon rind, 1 tblsp. melted and cooled butter.  Pour the mixture over the rhubarb. Top everything with a lattice top crust. Brush the crust lightly with cream and sprinkle with additional nutmeg (optional). Bake 10 minutes in preheated oven at 450 degrees, then turn down heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Happy spring!

 

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)