Rhubarb is an ornamental vegetable, which is eaten like a fruit. With ruby-red stalks of puckery goodness, it is food fit for a king! Whether you are partial to the vivid-green or royal-red stalks, it's all good! We serve rhubarb made into pies, cooked up in a sauce, or compiled into cobblers, crisps, and jams; it is a most magnificent vegetable.

To pick this vegetable fresh, it is best to grasp it at the root and pull it out of the mother plant, as opposed to cutting it with a knife. When plucked, the plant will then produce more stalks; if cut, it will not. The pulling or plucking of the stalk is what stimulates the mother plant to keep producing.

If you buy rhubarb, buy bright, crisp stalks, with tops intact, if possible. The ruby-red stalks are a bit sweeter and do tend to cook better.

Wash the young, tender stalks in cool water, remove the tops, and cut stalks into one-inch pieces.

-Rhubarb Sauce

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh rhubarb

1-1/2 cups sugar

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 cup water

1 tbsp. flour

1/4 cup apple juice

Directions:

Place washed and cut rhubarb in a 2-quart saucepan. Add water, sugar, and lemon juice and place over medium heat. Stir to combine.

When the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat to low and allow it to simmer 15 minutes. Cook until the stalks are tender and completely broken down. You can run them through a food processor; however, if the stalks are young and tender, they will cook nicely into a smooth sauce.

Pour apple juice into a small bowl, add flour, and whisk to combine. This slurry will be the thickening agent for your sauce.

Bring the cooked rhubarb to a low boil; pour slurry into mixture while gently stirring; it will thicken as it boils. Remove from heat.

This sauce is great served over big scoops of vanilla ice cream, or strawberry ice cream. The sweetness of the strawberry seems to bring out the tartness of the rhubarb for a great taste combination.

This Rhubarb Sauce also makes a great base for cobblers, pies, and the magnificent Rhubarb Crisp.

Rhubarb lends itself so well to varied combinations of fruits and berries. Try adding strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries to any recipe containing rhubarb, adding equal amounts of berries and rhubarb. Cooking directions remain the same.

No matter how you eat rhubarb, it is a magnificent vegetable. It is King of the Stalks!

Learn more about this author, Sheila Watson Kraklow.
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