RHUBARB RECIPES: Rhubarb Khoresht ... Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp ... Roasted Rhubarb

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Rhubarb tips

• Choose stalks that are firm and crisp with glossy skin that is free of blemishes. Check both ends to make sure they aren’t dried out.

• Wrap, unwashed, in plastic, and refrigerate 3 to 7 days.

• Blanched rhubarb freezes wonderfully, so there’s no need to buy it off-season. Blanch spring-grown stems for about 1 to 2 minutes in boiling water, chill them in ice water, then cut them into 1-inch long pieces and freeze on baking sheets. When they’re frozen, transfer to freezer bags and store.

• Rhubarb stalks, especially thick ones, can be covered with a stringy outside layer that should be removed before cooking. Make sure to cut away and discard any leaves, which are toxic.

• Trim both ends of the stalk, and then partially slice a thin disk from the bottom of the stalk, being careful not to cut all the way through. Gently pull the partially attached disk away from the stalk, pull back the outer peel, and discard.

• Make a second cut partway through the bottom of the stalk in the reverse direction. Pull back the peel on the outer side of the stalk and discard.

Rhubarb Khoresht

2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced

1 pound stew meat (lamb or beef), cut into 1-inch cubes or 2 pounds veal shank.

1 pound fresh rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces

13 cup oil

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1½ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon turmeric

18 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

¼ teaspoon saffron dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

2 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 cup chopped fresh mint

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

In an ovenproof casserole dish, Dutch oven or any heavy pot, brown the onion in 3 tablespoons of oil. Add turmeric. Add the meat and brown. Add the tomato paste and continue to brown meat for a short time. Add salt, pepper, cumin and nutmeg, if using. Add 2½ cups of water over medium heat. After it start simmering, lower the heat to low. Cover and cook for about 1¼ hours, stirring occasionally.

In a skillet, saute parsley, mint and cilantro in remaining oil for 10 to 15 minutes. Add this mixture to meat. Cover and simmer 1 hour longer over low heat.

Mix in the saffron water and lime juice.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer the stew to a deep ovenproof casserole. Arrange the rhubarb on the top and cover the casserole with aluminum foil. Pierce several holes in the foil and cook until the rhubarb is tender. Adjust the seasoning. Serve with rice.

Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp

4 cups fresh trimmed rhubarb, cut into ½-inch chunks

2 cups sliced strawberries

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon minced orange peel or lemon peel

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

TOPPING:

1 cup dark-brown sugar, packed

½ cup all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons butter, cut into 6 pieces

23 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, combine rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, flour, melted butter, orange peel or lemon peel, and cinnamon. Toss to combine, and place in a 9-inch square pan. Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes.

For topping, combine brown sugar, flour and butter in food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse to combine until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle over rhubarb mixture.

Bake until browned and bubbly, about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: Serve 6.

Pork Loin with Rhubarb Sauce

1 3-pound boneless top pork loin roast (single loin), fat trimmed

¼ cup Dijon-style mustard

2 tablespoons minced garlic

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

SAUCE:

3 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 tablespoon fresh onion, minced

13 cup fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Score top and bottom of roast with a sharp knife in a diamond pattern with ¼-inch deep cuts. Mix mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl; rub onto all sides of meat.

Insert a meat thermometer near center of roast. Place roast on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Roast 1¼ to 1¾ hours or until meat thermometer registers 155 degrees.

Remove roast to a platter; cover with foil and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.

Bring all sauce ingredients to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring often. Serve warm with roast.

Yield: Serves 8.

Vanilla-Poached Rhubarb on Raisin-Nut Bread

½ pound rhubarb, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch-thick diagonal slices

Grated zest and juice of ½ orange

Grated zest and juice of ½ lemon

2 tablespoons light-brown sugar

¼ vanilla bean, split open and seeds scraped

1 whole clove

1 tablespoon slivered blanched almonds

1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar, plus extra for dusting the sandwiches

4 slices raisin-nut bread

4 tablespoons thick Greek yogurt or thickened regular yogurt (see note)

Combine the rhubarb and the orange and lemon zest and juice in a bowl. Add brown sugar, vanilla bean seeds and pod, and clove. Stir well, cover and set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Give the rhubarb mixture a stir, and transfer it to a shallow ovenproof dish. Cover it with foil, and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the rhubarb is tender when pierced with a knife. Remove the dish from the oven and let the rhubarb cool. The rhubarb will keep for 2 days, covered, in the refrigerator.

Preheat the broiler. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and sift the confectioners’ sugar evenly over them. Place almonds under the broiler until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Set the almonds aside.

Just before serving, toast the bread on both sides under the broiler. Place a slice of toast on each plate, and spoon a dollop of yogurt onto each piece of toast. Arrange the rhubarb over the top. Sprinkle with toasted almonds. Dust the open sandwich with confectioners’ sugar and serve while the toast is warm.

Yield: Serves 4.

Note: To thicken yogurt: Fit a coffee filter or a piece of muslin inside a strainer, and set it over a bowl. Place the yogurt in the filter, and set the bowl in the refrigerator for as little as 30 minutes or as long as overnight. The longer you strain it, the thicker the yogurt will be.

Roasted Rhubarb

1½ pounds rhubarb

1 cup sugar

½ teaspoon ground ginger

Pinch of salt

Trim rhubarb, and cut into 1/3-inch dice. Toss in a large baking dish with sugar, ginger and salt. Roast in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. Let cool completely.

Stewed Rhubarb

2 to 3 cups rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

¼ cup honey

¼ cup water

Combine the rhubarb, ginger and honey with water in a medium stainless-steel saucepan. Cover, bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the rhubarb falls apart, about 10 minutes, adding a little more water if necessary. Serve chilled.

Yield: Serves 3 to 4.

Rhubarb Sauce

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

4 cups rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces

In medium, nonreactive saucepan, combine water and sugar; bring to a boil on high heat. Add rhubarb; reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring frequently, for 4 to 6 minutes. Cool. If desired, stir in 1 cup fresh raspberries. Spoon over cheesecake, pound cake, ice cream or rice pudding.

Yield: 4 cups.

Rhubarb Marmalade

2½ cups rhubarb, roughly chopped

1½ cups orange marmalade

2 cups sliced strawberries

¼ cup sugar

Place rhubarb and orange marmalade in heavy-bottomed, medium non-reactive saucepan. Simmer on medium-low until rhubarb softens, about 10 minutes. Mash with potato masher. Stir in strawberries and sugar; bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Boil 1 minute, and remove from heat. Cool and serve on pancakes, waffles or toast.

Yield: 3 cups.

Rhubarb Gratin with Vinegar and Sugar

5 stalks rhubarb, leaves removed, stalks cut into 3-inch lengths

¼ cup sherry vinegar

1½ tablespoons granulated sugar

¼ cup water

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the rhubarb in a baking dish just large enough to hold it in a single layer. Add vinegar, sprinkle with sugar and add water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bake until the liquids form a glaze on the bottom of the baking dish, about 30 minutes. (If the baking dish bakes dry, add a little more water, vinegar or both.) Serve hot.

Yield: Serves 4 (as side dish).

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 45 calories, no fat, 0.5 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams sugar, 1 gram fiber, 10 milligrams sodium, 55 milligrams calcium.

Sloe Rhubarb

1½ pounds rhubarb stalks

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup sloe, danson or elderberry gin

2 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cut the rhubarb into short lengths, trimming off the top and bottom of each stalk and pulling off any strings. Put the rhubarb into an enameled, glass or stainless steel oven-safe baking dish. (Don’t use aluminum.)

Stir together sugar, gin and water; pour over the fruit. Bake until tender, 40 to 60 minutes, basting occasionally with the juices.

Let cool slightly and serve warm, or refrigerate and serve cold.

Yield: 4 servings

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 90 calories, no fat, 1 gram protein, 6 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram sugar, 2 grams fiber, 5 milligrams sodium, 110 milligrams calcium.

Rhubarb Fool with Cardamom Cream and Pistachios

FOR CARDOMOM CREAM:

6 green cardamom pods

3 tablespoons superfine sugar

1 cup creme fraiche

1 cup heavy cream

FOR RHUBARB:

1 ¼ pounds rhubarb, tops and bottoms trimmed, any leaves removed, sliced crosswise into ¾-inch pieces

¼ cup superfine sugar

½ cup dry white wine

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

2½ teaspoons rose water

FOR SERVING:

½ cup shelled salted roasted pistachios

Make the cardamom cream. Using the flat part of a chef’s knife, smash the cardamom pods one by one. Discard the greenish husks. Pound the cardamom seeds to a powder in a mortar, then add 3 tablespoons sugar and pound briefly.

Put creme fraiche and heavy cream in a large mixing bowl; stir in the cardamom mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Make the rhubarb. Toss rhubarb and ¼ cup sugar together in a bowl. Transfer to a medium pot; add wine. Use a knife to scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pot; discard the pod.

Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and gently, until the liquid is a little creamy and the rhubarb is tender but the pieces are still largely intact, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely, then stir in the rose water.

Assemble the fool. With a whisk or a handheld electric mixer, whip the cream mixture until it’s fluffy and full with semi-stiff peaks. Spoon some of the rhubarb mixture into the bottom of a large bowl or the bottoms of 4 8-ounce glass serving dishes or glasses. Top with a layer of cream; sprinkle on some pistachios. Repeat layers until you’ve used everything, finishing with a layer of rhubarb. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 635 calories, 52 grams fat (29 grams saturated), 165 milligrams cholesterol, 7 grams protein, 36 grams carbohydrates, 25 grams sugar, 3 grams fiber, 125 milligrams sodium, 200 milligrams calcium.

Spiced Rhubarb Sauce for Pork

3 to 4 medium stalks rhubarb (about 14 ounces total)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Juice and grated zest (colored portion of peel) of 1 small orange

Salt

Ground cinnamon

Trim rhubarb stalks and remove any leaves. Cut stalks into 1-inch chunks. Place into a stainless steel or enameled pan; add sugar, orange juice and orange zest. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the fruit has softened but hasn’t turned to mush, 8 to 10 minutes.

Transfer to a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and cinnamon. Serve with a roasted uncured pork leg or a pork shoulder roast.

Yield: Serves 2.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 100 calories, no fat, 2 grams protein, 24 grams carbohydrates, 17 grams sugar, 3 grams fiber, 5 milligrams sodium, 140 milligrams calcium.

Note: This recipe can be doubled or tripled.

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