Rhubarb is a member of the family Polygonaceae. One of its cousins is that Ghengis Khan of the plant-world, Japanese knotweed, which you have probably noticed conquering roadsides and backyards near you.
Rhubarb, while much more polite than its aggressive relative, is still a strong grower. Once planted, it needs some room – give it a 3-by-3-foot spot, which it will grow into after a few years, especially if it’s provided with good compost and moisture.
Rhubarb is a generous perennial and will return that space and attention with year after year of sour pink stalks, beginning in spring (when it is most tender) until fall (when it gets stringier and more sour).
I started my patch more than 15 years ago with a packet of “Victoria” seeds, a variety that is still easy to find from vendors like Johnny’s Select Seeds and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Easier yet, many local garden stores sell rhubarb crowns – usually one-year-old, established roots – which you just pop into a good sunny spot. Of course, the cheapest way to start a rhubarb patch is to convince a friendly gardener to dig up a chunk from their patch for you to transplant.
Rhubarb is technically a vegetable; it looks a bit like Swiss chard on steroids. Harvest is simple. Grab a stalk near the ground and tug sharply – no knife required. Don’t eat the leaves, though; they contain toxic quantities of oxalic acid. Instead, throw the leaves into the compost heap.
Rhubarb is as much at home in savory recipes as in desserts. It also makes a wonderful drink. Chop stalks, combine them with sugar to taste and water, cook till soft and strain out the brilliant pink juice (compost the remaining pulp or use it in another recipe, if you like). Stored in a glass bottle, it will keep a few weeks (it also freezes well). It’s delicious mixed with carbonated water or used in a cocktail.
Here are two recipes I make every rhubarb season. The first is really a scone, but it resembles both in looks and taste my favorite part of a muffin, hence the name. The ground steel cut oats add wonderful flavor and texture, so do use them if you can. Substitute whole wheat flour in a pinch.
I make many kinds of chutneys during the growing season, but rhubarb is my hands-down favorite. Somehow I never seem to preserve enough of it to last till the following spring. It is wonderful served with grilled meats of all sorts, but if you are a vegetarian, you will still find ways to use it (hint: grilled cheese). It may be canned using a hot water bath, but if you don’t want to go to the trouble, simply freeze it. Refrigerated, it will keep a few weeks, but it probably won’t last that long.
cup sugar, divided
1 orange, grated rind and juice separated
1 cup rhubarb cut into small pieces (about 3 small stalks)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup buttermilk (approximately)
1 cup quick cooking steel cut oats (I used Bob’s Red Mill brand)
2 cups all purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 cup walnuts, chopped
½ cup golden raisins
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Place ⅓ cup of sugar and the orange zest into a small bowl and combine well. Add the chopped rhubarb and toss to coat; set aside. Combine 2 tablespoons of the sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl.
Set aside. Add enough buttermilk to the orange juice to make 1 scant cup of liquid and set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the steel cut oats until they become a coarse flour. Add the remaining sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and pulse a few times. Add the butter and pulse until just a few pea-sized pieces of butter remain. Put the mixture into a large bowl.
Add the rhubarb, walnuts and golden raisins to the flour mixture and toss well until they are well coated with flour. Pour the buttermilk and orange juice mixture over the mixture then toss lightly just until the you have a sticky dough – do not over mix or the scones will be tough.
Use a measuring cup or icecream scoop to mound 6 scones on each baking sheet – the mounds will be rough like drop biscuits. Sprinkle each scone with some of the cinnamon sugar.
Place the scones in the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes. They are done when light golden brown on top and a little darker brown on the bottom. Serve warm. If you have extras, they will be delicious the next day toasted. Makes 1 dozen.
3 tablespoons oil
3 cups chopped onions, or a combination of baby onions, scallions and leeks
1 cup chopped garlic scapes or ½ cup peeled and chopped fresh garlic
10 cups chopped fresh rhubarb, about 2½ to 3 pounds, without leaves
2 cups golden raisins
cup chopped or grated orange rind (from two large oranges)
¾ cup fresh orange juice (from 2 large oranges)
1 cup cider or other fruity, mild vinegar
2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons coarse sea salt (you may use less if concerned about sodium)
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons hot pepper flakes (optional)
1 stick cinnamon, broken into 3 or 4 pieces
2 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground coriander
Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot. When it is shimmering, add the onions and turn the heat to low. Sweat the onions slowly while readying the rest of the ingredients.
Add the chopped garlic scapes or garlic after about 10 minutes, when the onions are becoming soft and translucent (do not let them brown). Saute for 3 or 4 minutes, until the garlic softens.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 10 or 15 minutes, making sure the bottom of the pot doesn’t scorch. When the rhubarb is soft and the flavors are well-melded, turn off the heat.
The chutney may be canned in a hot water bath at this point. It can also be divided into freezer jars and frozen.
If stored in the refrigerator in clean jars, it will keep for 1 to 2 weeks.
Makes about 8 cups.