Rhubarb Garden

Bill Elsey, one of Savor New York’s favorite first edition dealers (www.LeatherStalkingbooks.com) called the other day to ask if I had any use for his bumper crop of rhubarb. He may as well have asked if he could unload a few winning scratch-off tickets. True to his tempting offer, he and his better half, Vi, appeared at my back step a few days later, arms laden with the coveted rosy stalks. In recent years rhubarb has become a gourmet favorite and, while we may take the humble “pie plant” for granted here in our cool Upstate climate where it thrives, it is mighty scarce in Southwestern markets.

As a gesture of appreciation for the Elsey’s generosity, Savor New York will donate a Strawberry Rhubarb Cake (featuring Bill and Vi’s bounty) to the Cake Walk at Springfield’s annual Fourth of July festivities.

Versatile rhubarb mates beautifully with strawberries, apples, pears and most berries. It can also cuddle up with onions and peppers, combining for distinctive chutneys and meat condiments. Sugar is included in nearly every recipe, to offset the plant’s considerable tartness. Rhubarb freezes easily, to enjoy throughout the winter.

Like tomatoes, rhubarb suffers from identity confusion. Just as tomatoes are fruits masquerading as vegetables, rhubarb is a vegetable that usually functions as a fruit. Unlike tomatoes (and every other vegetable except asparagus,) rhubarb is a perennial plant. Once established, it prettily heralds spring year after year, usually forgiving green thumbs that are a few shades off emerald.

Rhubarb’s broad (albeit toxic) leaves also make a showy addition to landscaping and help keep bedding soil moist. The stalks are the only edible part of the plant, their color varying from green to speckled pink to deep red. The flavor is basically the same, regardless of hue. Rhubarb leaves and roots are heavy in oxalic acid which, if eaten in sufficient quantity, can cause tissue and kidney damage. This may explain deer aversion to them. The roots of a specific variety can be used medicinally as a laxative; yet another compelling reason to enjoy the stalks only.

Although rhubarb is an Asian native, the name is widely believed to be from the Greek words “rha” and “barbarum”. “Rha”, refers to the Volga River, where the plant proliferated on its banks; “barbarum”, means “barbarian”, indicating the esteem in which the Greeks held the Russians.

Several rhubarb recipes, including Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch, Rhubarb Cupcakes, Rhubarb Apple Crumble, and Rhubarb Custard Bars are featured in both editions of Home Plate.

Check out the recipe for Rhubarb Slush