Rhubarb is popping up in markets, gardens. Here’s one way to enjoy it
Spring sprung early this year, and that means that rhubarb gardens are popping up. What’s appearing in grocery stores now most likely came from the Pacific Northwest.
Soon, some chains should have more locally grown options. If that’s all you can get, grab it. But since many people grow this hardy perennial in their backyards, see if you have a friend or neighbor willing to share. You will be rewarded with thicker, juicier stalks.
If you do track down homegrown rhubarb, note that the leaves are toxic. Compost those and retain just the stems. The red-tinged ones are prettier and may tint the dish you create with them, but the green ones taste the same.
One simple, fast and versatile option is to make a “fruit” compote. Though rhubarb is a vegetable, it stands in for fruit in most recipes. Its tart taste is usually balanced with sugar or sweet strawberries, and it mellows when cooked.
In a recent taste test, eight out of 10 4-year-old students decided they liked eating it raw. The other two made dramatic pucker faces.
The compote can be spooned on oatmeal, swirled with Greek yogurt, spread on crepes, or dolloped on vanilla ice cream. It’s a nostalgic treat that pleases palates young and old.
• Leslie Meredith is the winner of the 2019 Cook of the Week Challenge and teaches people how to grow and cook “real” food. She runs Farmhouse School on a historic homestead in Campton Hills. See the school’s Facebook page @FarmhouseSchool, or Instagram page @FarmhouseScool or contact Leslie at food@dailyherald.com.
Rhubarb Compote
1 pound fresh rhubarb stalks, roughly chopped (about 6-7 stems)
½ cup granulated sugar
Zest from half an orange
Large pinch of kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine rhubarb, sugar, citrus zest and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook until the rhubarb softens. Help break it down with the back of a wooden spoon and continue simmering until a sauce is formed, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Allow to cool. Serve warm or cold.
Makes 2 cups
— Leslie Meredith