The rhubarb patch came with the house. I was shocked that first spring when this tenacious plant sprung forth from the ground.
The first few years, I watched the rhubarb patch go to waste. So much potential, so little time. It’s not like I stood in the middle of my kitchen twiddling my thumbs longing for new projects. Processing plants from the yard into edible concoctions takes time. I didn’t have much to spare.
I needed something quick and easy to do with the rhubarb.
And, after a little trial and error, here’s what I’ve learned.
Rhubarb Harvesting for Dummies:
The nice woman at the farmer’s market taught me that I can harvest my rhubarb three times each season. That ends up being a serious rhubarb abundance.
The stalks are ready when they are about 10 inches long. To pick, reach to the bottom of a stock, twist and pull. (Cutting can damage plant.) Leave about a third of the stalks behind to keep plant healthy. Here’s a nice little video to help: http://youtu.be/HgvGrIIDi-c.
Don’t forget that the leaves are poisonous. They do, however, make wonderful contributions to the compost pile.
Rhubarb Sauced Cheesecake
Did you know that rhubarb and cheesecake make a positively heavenly combination? (Right, what doesn’t go with cheesecake?) To make a simple rhubarb sauce cheesecake topper, I brought ½ cup of sugar and ½ cup of water to a boil. I then added about a pound of rhubarb, cut into small pieces. I continued to cook and stir for about 10 minutes. Then I removed from heat and let stand so sauce could thicken a little. You can put this sauce on just about anything. I’ve also poured it over fresh biscuits and breakfast oatmeal.
Rhubarb Smoothies
We drink a lot of smoothies in this house. They are so healthy, fast, and simple. So I began adding a bit of my rhubarb surplus to our smoothie repertoire. However! As you know, rhubarb is very tart, so be sure to add something to balance that tartness. Here’s one recipe we’ve had success with:
- 1 banana
- 1 rhubarb stalk
- A few greens (swiss chard or kale work well)
- A handful of berries for color (my kids won’t drink green things)
- Enough coconut milk to blend
- A few ice cubes
Sounds strange I know, but you’ll thank me later.
Posted by Robin
