In the variety of the week, we try to focus on a produce that is not as common so that our members have an easier time using their produce by seeing the recipes we provide.
Important- Rhubarb stalks are the only part of the plant that is edible. We do cut off the leaves, but make sure to not have any leaf fragments in your dishes because the leaves of Rhubarb are highly toxic because of their high oxalic acid content.
Rhubarb has a fairly tart flavor, that is why most of the time when we see Rhubarb in a dish it is a sort of dessert; the sugars off set the tart flavor. One way to use it is to dice it and sweeten it with brown sugar or honey; cook it for a half hour at 375* and it can be used as an ice cream topper or even spread on toast for breakfast.
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler 1 pound fresh rhubarb 3-4 cups fresh or partially thawed strawberries 3/4- 1 cup of sugar 2-3 tablespoons flour (use the smaller amount if the fruit is fresh) 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
Topping: 1 1/4 cups flour 2 tablespoons sugar 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 tablespoons cold butter, cut up 3 tablespoons milk
Heat over to 375*. Place first 5 ingredients in bowl, toss fruit occasionally while you make the topping: in a separate bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until bits are the size of sunflower seeds. Whisk sour cream and milk in a small bowl. Stir into flour mixture just until combined. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead 4-6 times. Roll into 1/2 inch thickness and cut into rounds. Gather scraps and cut again. Spread fruit in an 8 inch square pan (or similar). Top with “biscuts”. Bake until browned and bubbly, 40-50 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.
Rhubarb Waffles with Rhubarb Syrup 1 cup water 1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar (divided) 1 1/2 cup sliced rhubarb (from 2-3 stalks) 2 cups flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 3/4 cup shaken buttermilk, plus more as needed 2 large eggs 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add 1 cup sugar and the rhubarb to saucepan and return to simmer until the sugar is dissolved (1 minute). Remove from heat and let sit for 1/2 hour. While the rhubarb is resting, prepare the waffle batter.
Add flour, baking soda, salt, and 2 tbsp. sugar to a large bowl, whisk to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients until just combined, lumps are expected. Whisk in the melted butter.
Remove rhubarb from syrup using a slotted spoon, and transfer to waffle batter, fold in rhubarb gently (careful not to overmix). The rhubarb sauce left behind can be transferred back to your medium saucepan on the stove, boil for another 8-10 minutes until the consistency of maple syrup. Add small amounts of sugar to taste if it isn’t sweet enough, or add a tablespoon of honey (my natural go-to sweetner).
Using the manufacturer’s instructions, preheat the waffle iron and cook your waffles! Your waffles will be done just in time to use the warm rhubarb syrup over the top!
Strawberry Rhubarb Yogurt Popsicles 1 pound fresh strawberries 3/4 cup orange juice 1/2 tsp kosher salt 3 stalks rhubarb (trimmed and minced) 4 oz plain greek yogurt 1/2 cup honey (you could sub 1/4-1/3 c sugar here)
Bring strawberries, juice, salt and rhubarb to a simmer on the stovetop, cook until fruit begins to break down about 3-4 minutes. Let cool. Using a slotted spoon, transfer 1/2 cup of the fruit mix to a small bowl off to the side. Empty remainder into a blender, along with yogurt & honey (or sugar) and puree until smooth. Stir in reserved fruit. Fill the popsicle mold. Freeze 1 hour then insert the stick into the popsicles, and freeze until they are solid (another 3 hours). To remove the popsicles easily from the mold, run under warm water for a few seconds before serving.
We are so excited to start harvesting & packing CSA Shares, thank you for participating in our program! Have a great rest of your weekend, ~The Farmer’s Wife