ALL ABOUT RHUBARB

With recipes for
Rhubarb Soup
Pork Tenderloin With Rhubarb Sauce
Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp With Kirsch
Rhubarb Soufflé With Rhubarb-Strawberry Coulis
Rhubarb Compote With Prunes And Apricots

 
When I was growing up, rhubarb was a big favorite in our house.  That is, until my brother Frank got hives one day from eating rhubarb pie. After that, rhubarb was a forbidden fruit.

Make that a vegetable. Though we eat rhubarb as a fruit, it’s a vegetable, at least botanically.  Legally it’s a fruit. In 1947, the U.S. Customs Court in Buffalo, NY (which coincidentally is my hometown) ruled that because rhubarb is used principally as a fruit at home, it’s a fruit. This enabled the imported rhubarb to pay a smaller duty than if it were a vegetable.

Like a lot of old fashioned vegetables (or fruits), rhubarb has been overlooked by younger cooks, many of whom have probably never eaten it or wouldn’t know how to cook it if they were interested. And perhaps there are some who don’t want to add all the sugar rhubarb needs to make it palatable.

Another roadblock to appreciating rhubarb is its limited versatility in people’s minds. It was called the pie plant because that’s pretty much what people used rhubarb for in colonial days. And as one produce retailer told me, “Who makes pies any more?”

I do. I also make a lot of other things with rhubarb too, sauces and soufflés, for example. I’m glad that young chefs are finding out the joys of rhubarb. When he was chef at Lespinasse, the four-star New York restaurant, Gray Kunz, had a rhubarb dessert soup on the menu. The Four Seasons restaurant, also in New York, has served rhubarb compote with roast duck. And nobody got hives.

History

Rhubarb’s origins can be traced back almost 5000 years to China, where the root of the plant was—and still is—used as a medicine. The species that most resembles the rhubarb of today came from southern Siberia.

But it took some time for rhubarb to make it to Europe. Cultivation in Italy, for example, didn’t begin until the early 17th century. But it wasn’t in wide use as a food in Europe until the mid 18th century.

In the United States, rhubarb was first grown in Maine and Massachusetts, then spread to New York, California, Oregon, Washington and Michigan. Utica, Mich. has the distinction of being called the “Rhubarb Capitol of the World.”

There are two theories about connection between rhubarb and quarreling (usually the emptying of benches at a baseball game.) The primary one involves the composition of the word rhubarb,  made up of the Greek word for the Volga river (Rha) and the Latin for barbarian (barbarium).  Webster’s makes the connection between the river, the barbarians, the plant they ate and the fact that the barbarians were a rowdy bunch. Another theory in Webster’s suggests the connection came from the practice of repeating the word ‘rhubarb” to simulate crowd noises in early radio broadcasts.

Where grown

Washington is the leading rhubarb producer. Oregon, Michigan and California are also rhubarb producers of note.

Varieties

There are two types of rhubarb, hot house and field rhubarb.  Hot house rhubarb is also called strawberry rhubarb because of its pinkish hue. Grown in greenhouses, this type has smaller, less stringy stalks than field rhubarb. It is also less coarsely textured and sweeter than field rhubarb. Outdoor-grown field rhubarb has a more pronounced tart rhubarb flavor. The stalks are darker red; thus, this type is called cherry rhubarb. Wholesalers command the highest prices for fat, dark rhubarb.

Seasons

Hot house rhubarb is normally available from January through April, usually with a two-week peak in mid-February. Field rhubarb overlaps, beginning in March and going through August and into the early fall. The peak period is April and May.

Selection, Handling & Storage

Choose rhubarb that is firm with good color for its type and no blemishes or flabbiness. The leaves, if attached, should look fresh and green, not yellow. The leaves, incidentally, are quite toxic and must be removed before cooking. Rhubarb will last up to two weeks when put in a plastic bag in the coldest part of the refrigerator.

Nutrition

A 100-gram serving of rhubarb (about 3.5 ounces) has just under a gram of protein and not quite 4 grams of carbohydrates as well as almost a gram of dietary fiber and only 16 calories. But that calorie figure shoots up to 141 calories when sugar is added for cooking.  Nonetheless, rhubarb contains almost 10% of the RDA for calcium, 15% for vitamin C and 4% for iron. Rhubarb is also a good source of potassium.

One additional health warning: Because it is high in oxalates, rhubarb may contribute to the formation of kidney stones. So you may want to avoid large quantities, especially if you are prone to kidney stones.

Yield

One pound of rhubarb yields 3 cups, sliced.

Tip

If you’ve got more rhubarb than you can handle when it’s at the peak of the season, freeze it. Cut stalks into 1-inch pieces and put them on a baking sheet in the freezer. When frozen, put the pieces in a freezer bag for up to nine months.

Preparation

After the leaves are removed and the stalks washed, rhubarb is cut very much like celery, crosswise into crescents. But since rhubarb breaks down much more quickly than celery, those crescents should normally be fairly wide, an inch or so.

The basic way to cook rhubarb is to stew it very much like cooking cranberries. Add about 1/4 cup water and sugar to taste (1/2 to 1 cup) to a pound of cut-up rhubarb. Cover and cook gently about 5 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to let the rhubarb disintegrate.

And as with cranberries, you can add all manner of seasonings to stewed rhubarb. Orange juice or orange liqueurs go nicely with rhubarb. So do lemon and ginger. Spoon the rhubarb over ice cream, waffles or pancakes.

Compotes are just a step up from stewed rhubarb and make good low-fat desserts or breakfast dishes.  Just add some dried fruits such as prunes, raisins and apricots, or perhaps some other fresh fruit like strawberries. Strawberries are the most favored companions to rhubarb which is why you see so many strawberry-rhubarb pies, crisps and compotes. Kirsch marries nicely with both.

RHUBARB SOUP

This is a dessert soup that’s particularly refreshing after a heavy meat-and-potatoes meal. You could also serve it as a first course on a hot day.

  • 2 1/2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed of their leaves and cut into 1/2 pieces

  • 11/2 cups sugar

  • 1 cinnamon stick

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 2 large mangoes

  • 3 kiwi

  • 2 navel oranges

  • 5 mint sprigs

1)Put rhubarb in a large saucepan with sugar, cinnamon stick and wine. Add 6 cups of water and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes.

2)Strain liquid through a sieve and add lemon juice. Cool. You should have about 6 to 7 cups.

3) Cut mangoes into 3/8 to 1/2-inch cubes. Peel kiwi, halve lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch thick crescents. Peel oranges and section, removing all membrane and pith.

4) Pour soup slowly into a large bowl, stopping before you get to the cloudy and unattractive dregs. You will have about 5 cups. Put one cup into each of 5 soup plates. Divide fruit equally among the plates so that it looks attractive. Put a mint sprig in the middle. Serves 5.

Sam’s Cooking Tip: You can stretch this to 6 servings if need be without too much trouble. I normally use a large soup plate but smaller bowls will make 6 servings still look sufficient.

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH RHUBARB SAUCE

Because of its natural sweetness, pork and fruit (or vegetables such as rhubarb that act like fruit) naturally go together.

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon each ground coriander and ginger

  • 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

  • 2 pork tenderloins, about 11 to 12 ounces each

  • 1/2 pound rhubarb

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • 2 ounces raspberry vinegar, raspberry liqueur or raspberry brandy

  • 1/2 cup defatted chicken stock

1) Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Mix salt, pepper, coriander and ginger in a teacup. Rub oil and all over the tenderloins. Then rub on spices.

2) Put tenderloins in a cast iron or other ovenproof skillet and put in the oven. Cook about 20 to 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thickest part reaches 155 to 160 degrees.

3) Meanwhile, wash rhubarb and peel if tough, as you would celery. Cut into 1-inch pieces (smaller if the pieces are very wide) and combine in a heavy bottom saucepan with the sugar, orange rind and water. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 5 to 7 minutes or until very soft. Set aside.

4) When tenderloins are done, remove to a warm platter. Put skillet on the stove over medium heat. Add raspberry vinegar or liqueur or brandy and scrape any particles on the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Add stock and reduce volume by half. Add rhubarb and reduce slightly until sauce thickens. Taste for seasoning. Then strain through a sieve (use the back of a ladle)into a saucepan.

5) Cut pork into approximately 3/8-inch thick slices, reserving the juices from slicing. Add juices to the rhubarb sauce and heat to thicken if necessary. (The sauce should not be thick but should gently coat the meat.) Put pork on a platter or individual plates and pour sauce over. Serves 4.

Sam’s Cooking Tip: Pork tenderloins - the tubes of meat that run down the back of the hog - are delicious and remarkably lean cuts with less than half the fat of skinless dark meat chicken. Because they don’t have a lot of fat, it’s important not to overcook them, as people so often do with pork. Since the trichina worm is killed at 137 degrees, I give a little cushion and suggest that meat be cooked to 155 or so, recognizing that some thermometers are off.

RHUBARB-STRAWBERRY CRISP WITH KIRSCH

Strawberries and rhubarb go together like bacon and eggs. Depending on the sweetness of the strawberries and your preference for tartness, you may want to increase the sugar somewhat in this recipe. We like this dish a little on the tart side.

  • 3/4 cup Grape Nuts or similar nugget cereal

  • 1/3 cup brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 3 tablespoons softened butter

  • 11/2 pounds rhubarb

  • 1 pint strawberries

  • 2/3 cup sugar, or more to taste

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1 tablespoons kirsch or framboise

  • 3 tablespoons flour

  • Butter-flavored spray

1) Mix cereal, sugars and cinnamon. Work in butter with a pastry knife or large fork until you have an even, crumbly meal. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Wash rhubarb and peel if tough as you would celery. Cut into 3/4-inch pieces (shorter if stalks are wide) and put into a bowl. Wash, hull and halve strawberries and add to rhubarb. Add sugar, nutmeg and kirsch to fruit and toss well. Add flour and toss well again.

3)Spray a 9 by 14-inch gratin dish with butter-flavored spray. Spread the fruit mixture in the dish evenly and top with cereal mixture.  Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until juice bubbles up through the crust and crust is nicely browned. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 6 to 8.

Sam’s Cooking Tip: Kirsch, the, clear cherry brandy, adds a delicious flavor accent for both strawberries and rhubarb. I  like the kirsch made by St.George Cellars in Northern California. It’s smooth and fruity (though strong, to be sure) but without the throat-scorching harshness of most kirsch. You can substitute framboise (raspberry liqueur) or an orange liqueur such as Triple Sec.

RHUBARB SOUFFLÉ WITH RHUBARB-STRAWBERRY COULIS

Emile Mooser has been known to make over 200 soufflés in an evening at Emile’s, his restaurant in San Jose. This adaptation of one of Emile’s soufflé recipes eliminates the normal cream-laden mousseline sauce but keeps the fat-free fruit coulis. Instead of making this in a 2-quart soufflé dish, you can also use two 1-quart soufflé dishes or four 1/2-quart dishes. If you use smaller soufflé dishes, start checking for doneness at 30 minutes.

  • 2 cups plus ¾ cup sugar

  • 3 tablespoons butter

  • 3 tablespoons flour

  • 3/4 cup warmed whole milk

  • Salt

  • 2 egg yolks

  • 1 cup diced rhubarb

  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

  • 12 egg whites

  • 1 ounce framboise, brandy or Triple Sec

  • Rhubarb-strawberry coulis (recipe follows)

1)Make a simple syrup by combining 1 cup water and 2 cups sugar in saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and boil 30-45 seconds until the syrup is clear, stirring to make sure sugar is dissolved. Cool and store in the refrigerator. (This will make 2 cups.)

2)Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a saucepan and whisk in flour to make a roux. Add milk and a pinch of salt and mix thoroughly with a whisk over low heat until it thickens and comes clean from the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and cool slightly (a few minutes) and whisk in egg yolks, one at a time, mixing thoroughly. Put into a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool.

3)Bring ½ cup of the simple syrup and the rhubarb to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook gently about 3 or 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.

4)Mix the cornstarch and remaining 3/4 cup sugar. Set aside. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Add the cornstarch mixture and beat a few seconds.

5)Add framboise to egg yolk mixture and mix until smooth. Mix a small amount of the egg whites into egg yolk mixture. Fold in cooked rhubarb, then remaining egg whites. Pour mixture into a buttered 2-quart soufflé dish to about 1/2 inch below the rim. Do not overfill.

4) Put soufflé dish in the oven. Bake 40 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Serve with rhubarb-strawberry coulis. Serves 6 to 8.

Rhubarb-Strawberry Coulis

  • 1/2 pound (one thick, long stalk) peeled rhubarb, cut into 3/8-inch dice

  • 1/2 pound (6 to 8 large) strawberries, coarsely chopped

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1/3 cup white wine, preferably an off-dry wine such as Chenin Blanc or Riesling

Put all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until rhubarb is tender but not mushy, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Sam’s Cooking Tip: Most people think soufflés are difficult desserts that require lots of last minute work. Not so. The white sauce and coulis are a snap and both can be done a day or two ahead. To prevent skin from forming on the white sauce, put plastic wrap directly on the surface.

RHUBARB COMPOTE WITH PRUNES AND APRICOTS

This is a sweet and spicy way to eat rhubarb, as a low-fat dessert or for breakfast the next morning. It’s best at room temperature, so be sure to take it out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.

  • 2 pounds rhubarb

  • 1 cup pitted, dried apricots

  • 1 cup pitted prunes

  • 1 cup dessert wine such as a late harvest riesling

  • 2/3 cup sugar

  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

  • 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1) Trim rhubarb and cut into 1 inch pieces, smaller if stalks are quite wide (i.e. more than 1 inch). Halve apricots and prunes if large.

2) Combine all ingredients, except rhubarb, in a covered, heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Add rhubarb and simmer 5 to 7 minutes, stirring gently a few times, until rhubarb just softens but does not get too mushy.

3) Cool and serve at room temperature over pound cake or with frozen yogurt or low-fat ice cream. Serves 4 to 6.

Sam’s Cooking Tip: If you like your compote on the spicy side, increase the amount of ginger by another teaspoon or two. And if you like your compotes a bit sweeter, increase the sugar to 3/4 cup.

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