Project Foodie - Rhubarb

Rhubarb

My aunt says that my great grandmother "made the best rhubarb pie, I loved her rhubarb pies, nobody makes good rhubarb pies anymore!". Lots of people used to make rhubarb pie, and it's true you don't go to many pot lucks these days where someone has made a rhubarb pie. Maybe one of the reasons they made that pie was because it's so easy to grow. When there weren't any other fruits ripe you could still harvest rhubarb. Did you know that rhubarb has inspired a number of festivals around the world? In England they hold an annual rhubarb championship.

Well, with the hope of inspiring a renewed interest in rhubarb, today I present a couple of rhubarb recipes. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does!

Rhubarb ginger crisp

4 cups chopped rhubarb
1 cup honey
¾ cup flour

Topping

¾ cup flour
1 stick butter
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon ginger
¾ cup oatmeal
½ cup honey

Chop rhubarb into small pieces, cover with honey for one hour then add flour. In a separate bowl, cut butter into flour and then mix in remaining topping ingredients. Place rhubarb mixture into a buttered 9x9 inch backing dish and top with topping. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Orange rhubarb muffins

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup dried cranberries
½ cup honey
1 egg
¼ cup hemp or coconut oil
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
¾ cup orange juice
1 ¼ cup finely chopped rhubarb

Mix together first 6 ingredients (flour through cranberries). In a separate bowl mix remaining ingredients and then add to previous ingredients. Pour into a buttered muffin pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes

Rhubarb Mint Compote

¼ cup water
¼ cup red wine
½ cup sugar
2 cups finely chopped rhubarb
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup fresh raspberries or strawberries
5 sprigs fresh peppermint of spearmint

In a saucepan bring the first five ingredients to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for fifteen minutes until rhubarb is tender. Turn off heat, stir in berries and mint. Best when served warm but can be chilled.

About the Gardener

Farm Fresh To You presents the Herb Garden by Kami McBride. Farm Fresh To You provides delivery of organic, seasonal fruits, vegetables and greens right to your door. Every week the Farm Fresh to You family farm, Capay Organic, puts together a box of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and greens and delivers the box directly to your home.