Rhubarb: So Much More than a Pie Plant

Rhubarb is an interesting vegetable. Many people don't know what to do with it, except make Strawberry-Rhubarb pie - which is certainly a most honorable use.  However, many may not realize that rhubarb can be used for a variety of dishes - savory as well as sweet.

These recipes will hopefully provide some new and creative uses to help you use rhubarb, and maybe even spark a  new appreciation for this plant's wonderfully tangy flavor and beautiful red color!

Caramel-Rhubarb Chutney
Serves 8 or more
by Chef Didi Davis - From Side Dishes: Creative and Simple

This chutney, a complex union of snappy rhubarb, oranges and raisins, follows the basic formula of cooking all the ingredients together for an hour, but it has the unusual twist of substituting caramel syrup for white sugar.

This chutney improves enormously with an overnight stay in the refrigerator. Serve with broiled swordfish steaks or salmon, shellfish, chicken, lamb, spicy dishes such as curry or Chinese food, and on crackers with Cheddar cheese.

1¼ cups sugar
¼ cup water
Few drops fresh lemon juice
½ cup apple cider vinegar
2 medium oranges, peeled
2 pounds rhubarb, washed, trimmed and cut into ½-inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
¼ cup (packed) golden raisins
½ teaspoon Fine Sicilian Sea Salt, or any other high quality sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
Pinch of cayenne pepper, or more as desired

Place 1 cup of the sugar in a small nonreactive saucepan with the water and lemon juice. Heat over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Do not stir or the syrup may crystallize. Boil until the syrup has turned an auburn color, 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the vinegar; be careful–the caramel will splatter. Cook over medium heat, whisking to dissolve the caramel, then transfer to a medium nonreactive pan and set aside.

Cut the oranges into ½-inch chunks and add them, with their juice, to the caramel. Add the rhubarb, onion, raisins, Sicilian Sea Salt, cinnamon (if desired), cayenne and remaining ¼ cup sugar. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer briskly for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until thickened, stirring often, so the mixture does not burn.

Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. The chutney will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Variations:
- Substitute dried strawberries or cherries for the golden raisins.
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger.
- Add 1 teaspoon or more mustard seeds.

 
Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote
Serves 4
by Chef Didi Davis, from A Fresh Look at Saucing Foods

In this unusual spring dish, red wine complements the poached rhubarb and fresh strawberries. The sauce is made by reducing the poaching liquid to a syrup, which intensifies the flavors of the spices. This sauce keeps for several days in the refrigerator.

½ cup heavy cream
1 cup Didi Davis Food Lemon or Orange Ginger Sugar (or any other natural sugar)
1 cup red wine
2 strips lemon zest, measuring 3 inches long by 1 inch wide
½ teaspoon allspice berries
¼ teaspoon Australian Mountain Peppercorns
1 pound rhubarb
1 pint strawberries

Beat the cream until soft peaks begin to form. Keep the whipped cream refrigerated until you are ready to serve.

Combine the sugar, wine, zest, allspice, and Australian Mountain Peppercorns in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 3 minutes.

While the syrup cooks, trim the rhubarb and cut it on the bias into pieces about ½ inch wide and 2 inches long. Poach the rhubarb in syrup in 2 batches for between 3 to 5 minutes each until it is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, but not falling apart. With a slotted spoon, remove the rhubarb to a plate. Return the lemon zest and spices to the pan if they were removed with the rhubarb. When all the rhubarb is cooked, raise the heat to high and reduce the syrup to ½ cup. Strain it and set it aside at room temperature.

Hull the strawberries and cut them in half lengthwise.

Just before serving, heat the syrup gently until it is just warm. Arrange the strawberries around the edges of 4 plates. Place a portion of rhubarb in the middle of the plate and drizzle the strawberries and rhubarb with the warm syrup. Beat the whipped cream briefly to homogenize it and spoon it over the fruit.

Variation:
- For a low-fat topping, serve the compote with a dollop of yogurt instead of cream.
- The Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote may be served over cakes, steamed puddings, French toast, pancakes or waffles. Leftover syrup may be mixed with sparkling water.

Rhubarb Punch
from family friends, the Piersons

This delightfully refreshing beverage reminds me of summer days when I was young. Rhubarb grew in plenty from our garden, and my mother would make this punch on special occasions. With its perfect combination of tart and sweet, this punch is a lovely treat for any spring or summer day.

5 cups rhubarb, rinsed and chopped
5 cups water
1 cup honey
½ cup orange juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
Didi Davis Food Orange Ginger or Lemon Sugar
Ginger ale

Combine rhubarb, water, and 2/3 cups honey in a saucepan; cook until fruit is soft. Pour through a cheesecloth, collecting strained juice in a bowl.

Again in the saucepan, combine the strained juice with remaining 1/3 cup of honey. Boil together for 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool, and add ½ cup orange juice and 1/3 cup of lemon juice. Chill in the refrigerator.

When serving, rim each glass with Didi Davis Food Orange Ginger or Lemon Sugar. Then mix punch with ginger ale to taste. I prefer equal proportions of juice to ginger ale. Enjoy!

Ben's Special Rhubarb Sauce: Rhubarb is so delicious, we hate to waste any part of it! The leftover rhubarb can be mashed and mixed with sugar - a great substitute for traditional apple sauce. It's delightful served either warm or chilled.

 
Stewed Rhubarb with Tarragon
Serves 4 to 6
by Chef Didi Davis - From Side Dishes: Creative and Simple

Stewed rhubarb is such a favorite in our house that it marks the beginning of the season just as corn and the first fall apples signal theirs. This dish has a savory element; the addition of tarragon is a pleasing departure from more usual versions. Serve with ham, duck, pork, sausages, rich fish such as bluefish or salmon, or Chinese food.

1½ pounds rhubarb, rinsed and trimmed
½ cup Didi Davis Food Lemon Sugar or any other natural sugar
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried
Grated Pink Himalayan Sea Salt Rocks or any other high quality sea salt
Lemon wedges (optional)

Cut the rhubarb into ½-inch slices and place in a medium nonreactive saucepan with the sugar, water, tarragon and a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil, stirring, over medium-high heat. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 to 1- minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and tender.

Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Serve at room temperature or chill. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

Variations:
- Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon with the tarragon.
- Replace the tarragon with thyme or chives.

Comments

[Foodie]

I made the Carmel-Rhubarb Chutney and can't stop eating it! It is amazing on ANYTHING - with cheese, crackers, bread, any kind of meat. My new favorite sandwich - ham, sharp cheddar, and chutney!