Simple recipes with minimal ingredients let the seasonal fruit flavor shine. As per usual, I short all the sugar with results that let the rhubarb be what it's supposed to be - tart and delicious, not overly-sugary doctored to become sweet.
Rhubarb Crunch
For the crust/topping:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar (slightly short)
1 tsp cinnamon
Mix together until crumbly. Press half into the bottom of 8x8 pan; reserve half for topping.
For the filling:
4 cups rhubarb, diced
1 cup white sugar (slightly short)
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp cornstarch
Combine and cook over low/medium heat until thick and transparent. Pour over crust.
Top with remaining crumbles and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Optional: add half a 3 oz packet of flavored strawberry gelatin (whole packet would be too much)
Recipe origin: No idea! But it's written in my recipe book, which means I've made it and liked it enough to write it down and make it again.
RHUBARB, the springtime vegetable that cooks up like fruit. It's a perennial plant that explodes early and is commonly found on old farmsteads. You just pull these incredibly sour stalks right up out of the ground (don't break them off). Do cut the leaves off (they are considered toxic), trim the ends, wash and dice. Some say you need to peel the outer layer off, but it's not necessary. Just make sure you have a sharp knife and you can dice a big pile of rhubarb in no time.
Some favorite rhubarb recipes include:
- Rhubarb Strawberry Jelly
- Rhubarb Torte
- Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
- Rhubarb-Orange Tart
