Rhubarb, Rhubarb, Rhubarb Crisp

With it’s deep red stalks and giant green leaves, it calls to us that have it growing in our gardens. It has a way of calling out even to those who have no garden’s ~ it is now in season. It calls out to be eaten, mixed with sweeter fruits that are also coming into season like strawberries. It is tender and sweeter right now, later in the season the leaves will get bigger, large enough to use as a pattern for a bird bath in fact (that as they say is another story). The stalks themselves will become thicker, tougher need more sugar, honey or juice to cut the sour bitter taste.

What is it Rhubarb? Botanically speaking, it is a vegetable, relative of buckwheat, it has an earthy, sour flavor, rarely eaten raw; we most often treat it as a fruit. Nicknamed the “pie plant”. Please take note that the leaves are not to be eaten raw or cooked they can be poisonous.

Aside from making a wonderful pie or crisp it’s also got a few health benefits, high on the list is the fact that Rhubarb is high in fiber. It is believed to have a positive effect on lowering blood pressure, along with aiding in indigestion, restoring a balance to an acid stomach. It has been found to have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy properties, and anti-cancer properties. Rhubarb extract can also be helpful in diminishing the problem of hot flashes

So enough already….you say bring on the Rhubarb, oh, yes indeed I have seen it in the Farmer’s Market, long thin juicy red stalks calling to me….I am blessed today is Wednesday, I get to walk down to visit the grower’s at our local Farmer’s Market . Now where did I see them…



Rhubarb Crisp

About 4 cups of ½ inch pieces of Rhubarb
¼ - ½ cups of sugar (this is a matter of preference, not sure go with the ½ cup)
zest of one lemon
juice from said lemon or about 2 –3 Tablespoon
a pinch of salt

Mix together and put in a buttered pie plate or and 8 x 8 square.

Topping
¼ –1 cup of brown sugar
1 ½ cup Old Fashioned Oatmeal
¼ cup butter or oil
¼ teaspoon vanilla

Mix together and sprinkle/spread over Rhubarb mixture.
Bake at 350 for about 35- 40 minutes
If possible serve warm, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
Yummy –

Change orders or things you could do differently right off the top

Use the smaller amount of sugar decrease rhubarb by a cup, adding 1 ½ cups strawberries chopped, or apples
If you’re not an oatmeal eater, ( though this adds to the heart healthiness of a dessert) change the oatmeal to 1 cup flour, gluten free use buckwheat flour

Roll out a pie crust and make it a pie instead.



photo taken about an hour after I dropped off a crisp to my tasters at Coffee By Design on India street - wheat-free and vegan :)