Collinsville Farmers Market

What's the deal with rhubarb?  Is it a fruit or a vegetable?  What part can you eat?  How do you cook it?  ....Let's get The Dirt on this delicious, nutrient-rich spring delicacy!

Rhubarb is so misunderstood--I feel sorry for the poor stalk.  It may conjure up old-fashioned notions of your grandmother in her apron sweating through long hours of jarring.  Or, maybe you think rhubarb is a fruit and wonder why it isn't sweet.  Kids just give a quizzical look to the pinkish celery- looking stalks in the produce aisle.  Rhubarb is definitely in need of some good PR.

Each spring, in cold weather climates, rhubarb shoots from the ground offering a host of possibilities.  Rhubarb is a vegetable rich in Vitamin C, dietary fiber and Potassium.  Rhubarb stalks are smooth and pinkish-green or red in color.  They are fun for kids to help pick if you grow your own or have a nearby farm.  Just grab the stalk down towards the ground and wiggle until it snaps off at the base.  Thinner reddish stalks are sweeter than the older, large light green ones. Remove the leaves as they are poisonous (but are safe to compost.)  One pound of raw rhubarb yields about 3/4 cups cooked. Grocery stores usually sell them in 2 lb. packages.

In your kitchen, wash stalks and trim the ends.  If you purchase rhubarb in the store, stand it in cool water for an hour to give it a refreshing drink.  Mixed with fruits or sugar, rhubarb gives a rich, sweet and sour punch to pies, muffins, chutney, sauces and more.

Rhubarb also freezes beautifully.  After washing, drying and cutting into 1" pieces, you can freeze them in bags of 2 Cups each and pull them out in the dark of winter for the most wonderul taste of springtime!

Here is my family's favorite Strawberry Rhubarb Pie recipe:

3 Cups Strawberries, Halved

2 Cups Rhubarb, Cut into 1" pieces (thawed and drained if using frozen)

3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

3 Tablespoons Flour

1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Grated Nutmeg

2 Eggs

Pastry for Double 9" Pie

1 Tablespoon Butter, cut into small pieces

2 Tablespoons Milk

Cinnamon Sugar

In a large bowl, combine rhubarb and strawberries.  

In another bowl, mix sugars, flour and nutmeg.  

Stir in eggs and blend with whisk. Poor mixture over fruit and stir gently.  

Pour into pastry lined 9" pie pan.  Dot with butter pieces.  

Lay top pastry crust and crimp sides closed.  Make decorative slits in top crust.  

Brush with milk and lightly sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes, then lower to 375 F for roughly 40 more minutes until juices start to bubble through slits.

Let cool and serve...adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream is a nice touch!

For more positive spin on rhubarb and loads of recipes, check out www.rhubarbinfo.com

Parting Quote:

"Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's Party!"

-Robin Williams, Comedian