Rhubarb & Recipes

Its spring time and the rhubarb is growing like weeds. Of course my brand new puny plant isn't producing yet. Might be because of the attack of the weed eater? I was saved from a spring without rhubarb by our neighbor who offered some of his! Thanks Chuck!

Yesterday I tried a new rhubarb crisp recipe. It tasted great and would have been better had I thought about adding vanilla ice cream. Or maybe even Cinnamon ice cream. 

Rhubarb Crisp

RHUBARB FILLING

• 4 cups chopped fresh or frozen (thawed) rhubarb
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Place rhubarb in an 8×8 pan or divide between 6 ramekins.
2. Mix together sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan, stir in water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over rhubarb.

CRISP TOPPING

adapted from Fresh with Anna Olson

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Mix together flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, salt and walnuts. Stir in melted butter until even distributed. Crumble over filling.
2. Bake at 350ºF for 45 min or until rhubarb is cooked through and filling is bubbly.

Makes enough for an 8×8 inch square (9 inch round) baking pan or 6 ramekins.

Rhubarb bread is a family favorite. I really don't have one recipe I like best. I've found things I like about all the different ones I've tried. This particular recipe is one of the best.

Rhubarb Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together milk, lemon juice and vanilla; let stand for 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, oil and egg. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda, stir into sugar mixture alternately with the milk mixture just until combined. Fold in rhubarb and nuts. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.
3. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. Sprinkle this mixture over the unbaked loaves.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean. (I found it took mine an additional 20 minutes to be done - 1 hour total).