Rhubarb is good for more than just pie

Last week I ran into my neighbors Mel and Nancy Brown in Lloyd's Market. I couldn’t tell what else was in their shopping bags, but I did see a few pieces of rhubarb sticking their pink stalks through the handles. I asked Nancy if she was making pie and of course she said yes (what else do you do with rhubarb?)

That encounter gave me the inspiration to offer rhubarb some attention. To begin, rhubarb is a member of the buckwheat family. It grows from underground rhizomes with stems (stalks) colored from light green to pink to deeper red. They’re topped by large, crinkled heart-shaped leaves. The stalks resemble celery and are typically sold at the market individually, always without their poisonous leaves.

As a foliage plant in the garden, rhubarb appears in the early spring, often one of the first edibles to arrive. It thrives in cold climates, a fact well known by northerners who’ve retired to Florida and can no longer grow this lovely plant. Residents of Alaska and Siberia, however, can grow it quite well.

The original Latin name comes from the Romans who observed it growing along the banks of the river Rha (now the Volga). Since that region was considered foreign or barbarian territory at the time, the name rha barbarum translates as “from the barbaric Rha."

Although some of the indelible wild varieties have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, the succulent garden variety has only been considered a desirable food for the past few hundred years. While technically a vegetable, rhubarb was classified as a fruit in 1947, much to the relief of importers trying to avoid certain taxes.

The authors of the familiar cookbook The Joy of Cooking are unabashed in their opinion of rhubarb: "Only by the wildest stretch of the imagination can rhubarb be included in this [fruit] chapter, but its tart flavor and its customary uses make it a reasonable facsimile, when cooked, of fruit.”

Rhubarb is most often cooked into a pie filling or jam. Its tart flavor is typically mellowed by lots of sugar or the addition of another (sweeter) fruit such as strawberry or raspberry. It’s a great mix-in ingredient for muffins or quick breads, adding signature flavor without undesirable excess moisture.

There are several more unusual applications for rhubarb, in addition to the pie in the photo and a piquant sauce for chicken or pork (recipe below). Because of its high concentration of oxalic acid (the compound that makes the leaves and roots toxic to eat) rhubarb has been used for cleaning metal, tanning leather and controlling insects, as in the recipe for aphid control, below.

Or, for an interesting herbal remedy, consider lightening your hair with a rinse we can call Rhubarb Blonde. For a tart stalk that can be transformed into a delicious dessert to its “barbaric” poisonous leaves, rhubarb is a standout ingredient in more than just pie.

Rhubarb Strawberry Pie

pastry for 2 pie crusts
3 C sliced rhubarb
1 lb strawberries, halved
1/3 C brown sugar
1/3 C sugar
1/4 C cornstarch
2 T orange juice
pinch salt
1 t cream
1 t turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a pie pan with one of the crusts, leaving the edges to overhang the lip of the pan; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the fruit, sugar cornstarch, juice and salt. Toss gently to combine and pour into the crust-lined pie pan. If a lattice top is desired cut the remaining crusts into strips and weave together before placing the top on the filling. Crimp edges together and brush top with cream. Dust with turbinado sugar. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 325 and continue baking another 35 minutes. Allow pie to rest for at least 1 hour before serving.

Sweet Rhubarb Sauce

1/2 C sugar
1/3 C water
2 1/2 C sliced rhubarb
1/2 t lemon zest
1/8 t cinnamon

Bring sugar and water to boil in a small saucepan. Stir in rhubarb and cook until rhubarb is softened and mixture is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest and cinnamon. Use warm or chilled as a topping for ice cream or pound cake.

Savory Rhubarb Sauce

2 t olive oil
1/2 t salt
1 sliced Vidalia onion
3 T brown sugar
2 T water
2 C diced rhubarb
1/4 C red wine vinegar

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over low. Add onion slices and cook until lightly browned and softened, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with brown sugar and add water. Stir together and continue cooking another 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook until rhubarb has begun to disintegrate, about 5 minutes. Serve as a savory sauce for pork chops or chicken breasts.

Aphid Spray

5 rhubarb leaves
1 qt water
1/2 t liquid dish soap

Chop the leaves and combine with the water in a saucepan. Boil for about 30 minutes over medium high. Strain out the leaves, retaining the liquid. Combine the rhubarb water with liquid dish soap in a spray bottle. Apply liberally to kill aphids. NOTE: Because of the poisonous nature of the rhubarb leaves, do not use this on edible plants.

Rhubarb Blonde Hair Rinse

1/2 C chopped fresh rhubarb root
1 qt water

Combine the rhubarb and water in a stainless steel saucepan. Bring almost to a boil over medium, then reduce heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes. Allow the mixture to steep overnight. The next morning, strain out the rhubarb pieces, retaining the liquid. Test the color on a strand of hair. To apply, pour the liquid over your hair, catching the liquid to pour again two additional times. Don’t rinse out; allow your hair to air dry. Note: because of the poisonous nature of the rhubarb root, do not swallow the rinse.


Send questions, comments and recipe suggestions to capeflavors@comcast.net