Enjoying The Rhubarb Harvest

Rhubarb grows well in most farm gardens and has a special spot in town gardens as well. This tart, tasty vegetable (yes, botanists consider rhubarb, as a member of the garden sorrel species, a vegetable) makes excellent muffins, cakes, tortes, jellies, and juice, and when surrounded by delectable flaky pastry, rivals any fruit pie in flavor and taste.

Rhubarb, grown in the ancient world as a medicinal plant, arrived in Maine in the early 1800s, when one enterprising farmer imported seed and planted them in his garden. By 1822, the vegetable had become popular with locals so farmers sold the stalks at produce markets.

Rhubarb, full of vitamin C and dietary fiber, blends very well with strawberries and pineapple. Add a cup of strawberries or a cup of pineapple to two or three cups of rhubarb, add sugar to taste, and cook the mixture together until it blends into a delectable sauce. Bakers can also add a cup of strawberries or a cup of pineapple to a rhubarb pie recipe. The flavors blend well and make a scrumptious dessert.

The following recipes offer a variety of ways to prepare rhubarb treats.

Rhubarb Chiffon Dessert

2 c. cut up rhubarb

¼ c. water

½ c. sugar

1small pkg. strawberry Jell-O powder

½ c. cold water

1 c whipping cream

Combine rhubarb, sugar, water. Cover and simmer until rhubarb is tender. Remove from heat, add Jell-O, stir until dissolved. Add cold water. Chill until mixture begins to set.

Fold in whipped cream. Chill.

Rhubarb Orange Cream Pie

Unbaked 9 inch pie shell with high fluted rim

3 eggs, separated

1 c. sugar

¼ c. soft butter

3 Tbs. frozen orange juice concentrate

¼ c. flour

2½ c. finely chopped rhubarb

1/3 c. chopped pecans

Beat egg whites until stiff. Add ¼ c sugar gradually, beating well.

Add butter and juice concentrate to egg yolks. Beat thoroughly. Add remaining sugar and flour, beat well. Add rhubarb to yolk mixture. Stir well. Gently fold in beaten egg whites. Pour into pastry lined pan, sprinkle with pecans

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 and bake 45-50 minutes.

Rhubarb Cheesecake Squares

1¼ c. flour

½ c. old fashioned oats

½ c. packed brown sugar

½ c. cold butter

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

¾ c. sugar

½ tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1 egg, lightly beaten

1½ c. finely chopped rhubarb

Combine flour, oats, brown sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Set aside 1 c of crumb mixture, press remaining mix onto bottom of greased 9 inch square pan.

In small bowl beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg. Add egg, beat on low just enough to combine mixture. Stir in rhubarb. Pour over crust, sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Cool 1 hour, refrigerate for at least two hours.

Rhubarb Muffins

1 ½ c. brown sugar

¼ c. oil

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. buttermilk

1½ c. rhubarb

½ c. pecan pieces

2½ c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

Beat sugar, oil, egg, vanilla. Stir in buttermilk, rhubarb, nuts. Sift dry ingredients together, add to rhubarb mix and stir until moist.

Pour batter into lined muffin cups.

Bake at 400 for 15 - 20 minutes.