4 Ways to Enjoy Rhubarb This Spring
Rhubarb is plentiful in the spring, providing a distinctively tart taste that is perfect for your dishes and desserts. Health pointed out that the vegetable is also full of important nutrients, including vitamin K, vitamin C, calcium and potassium. Load up on stalks that are crisp, straight and brightly colored so you can try out a few of these recipe ideas:
1. Step up a classic dessert
When you think of rhubarb, you probably think pie. That’s because this veggie’s tartness makes it perfect for combining with something sweet, like fellow springtime staple strawberry, in an exceptional dessert. Beyond a straightforward pie, there are endless possibilities, like a tart, parfait or galette.
Food Network’s Anne Burrell offered a crisp recipe that will ensure you get the most out of those seasonal flavors. The filling includes four stalks, cut into half-inch pieces, plus a quart of strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, orange and balsamic vinegar. A simple topping featuring rolled oats and brown sugar ties it all together. After about half an hour of baking, the crisp is ready to be finished off with whipped cream.
2. Roasting and pairing
As pleasing as rhubarb is in baked goods, you can also achieve excellent results by roasting. Real Simple recommended tossing sliced rhubarb stalks with olive oil on a baking sheet. Place the sheet in an oven set to 450 degrees Fahrenheit for about four minutes. Look for the rhubarb to become tender and caramelized.
This freshly roasted rhubarb makes a fantastic basis for a salad. Toss the vegetables with granulated sugar, and let them cool. Combine them with lettuce, goat cheese, dry-roasted pistachios and a vinaigrette.
3. The perfect topping
Rhubarb serves as a very capable supporting player in dishes as well. By using the vegetable in a sauce, you can contribute its unmistakable taste to a wide variety of items. For instance, Serious Eats suggested making a ketchup with rhubarb, as well as crushed tomatoes, yellow onions, brown and granulated sugar, white wine vinegar, black pepper, cinnamon, and garlic, ancho chili and onion powders. This condiment is the finishing touch that can make a dry-rubbed, slow-roasted pork shoulder stand out.
4. Preserve the springtime flavor
You can get creative with rhubarb while also enjoying it for longer by pickling it or making it into a jelly. The Telegraph advised pairing the pickled vegetable with oily fish like mackerel or sardines. The directions call for setting pieces of rhubarb in jars while boiling a mix of apple cider vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Pour the liquid into the jars, and let them cool before refrigerating for two days.
Bon Appetit suggested uniting rhubarb with its old comrade strawberry in a jelly. The directions call for combining both the vegetable and fruit with sugar in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap before placing it over a saucepan of water set to simmer. After around 45 minutes, this mixture grows soft and is ready to be strained into a measuring cup. Boil the resulting liquid for about three minutes, adding more rhubarb. Then, combine the mixture with softened gelatin. You can either place your jelly in a jar or, as Bon Appetit suggested, add it to a buttermilk panna cotta for a fantastic dessert.
Whether you choose to use what you’ve learned about the baking and pastry arts to prepare a favorite pie recipe or try out something new, make sure you take advantage of rhubarb this season.
