Fun New Rhubarb Recipes to Help You Go Beyond Pie

It's that time of year again! If you have rhubarb in your garden or have ever seen it in a garden, you'll know that it is the most feel good plant ever in springtime!

It's huge green leaves are a very welcome sight to see after a long winter. The plant comes up and grows so fast that it makes you feel like you're gardening already! And good at it! Right?

That's always what I think! Who else thinks growing rhubarb gives you an ego-boost?

So before having kids I think we must have kept rhubarb around for that very reason. It made me feel like I was a good gardener to see it's vigorous dark green leaves before there was any other food in our gardens, green or otherwise.

Plus it is practically impossible to kill, which is a great feature for convincing yourself you have a green thumb!

As you know if you're a parent or a grandparent, kids teach us so much, and my daughter Harriet taught me how good rhubarb really is to eat (not just look at, haha)!

And now we'll cut to the chase so you can answer the question, “What do you do with rhubarb besides pie?”  Because!  Rhubarb can give you an ego-boost in the kitchen, too, because it is so fun and interesting and different and unexpected!  Try it!

Fun new rhubarb recipes to help you go beyond pie

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking rhubarb pie. Yum! Anyone remember Prairie Home Companion and the little ditty: “Mama's little baby loves rhubarb rhubarb, beebopareebop rhubarb pie”?

Anyway, but there are sooo many other good fun delicious recipes for rhubarb! And I want to encourage you to venture out!

#1 Did you know you can eat rhubarb raw??

Absolutely! My daughter taught me this. When she was one years old, she was getting her first year molars, and wanting to chew on everything, including whole rhubarb stalks. What?? Yes they're tangy and sour, but refreshing! And now my younger daughter does it, too!

Really young pieces you can harvest and eat raw as is. If they're bigger, peel the red skin off and chomp away. Here's a recipe for using rhubarb in salad:

Rhubarb, Lettuce, and Radish Salad

• 1 large rhubarb stalk, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal
• Lettuce handfuls, chopped, to taste
• 5 radishes, cut into ¼” wedges
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Feta cheese, crumbled, to taste
• Fresh mint leaves, minced, to taste
• Fresh lovage leaves, minced, to taste (optional)
• Vinaigrette dressing of choice

Toss all ingredients together and top with a simple vinaigrette dressing.

#2 Did you know you can eat rhubarb with meats??

Totally! Rhubarb is delicious used in a savory fashion either in a sauce or in a chutney to go with your main dish meats. I have cooked this sauce recipe with a pork roast or country ribs. So good!

This is great with pork, chicken, fish, or even with rice and stir-fry!  Ooooh baby!

Rhubarb Sauce for Meats

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup onion, minced
• hot pepper of choice (optional), chipotle or cayenne or other smoked pepper like paprika, to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3-4 cups peeled and chopped rhubarb
• sweetener of choice, to taste (maple syrup, sugar, honey, etc.)

In sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and onion and saute, stirring for 1 minute.  Add hot pepper, salt and pepper, rhubarb and a little water to prevent sticking (start with 1 tablespoon).  Cook stirring until rhubarb is completely tender.  Sweeten to taste.  

Tangy Rhubarb Chutney

• 2 TBLS apple cider vinegar
• 2 TBLS balsamic vinegar
• 1 TBLS maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated, to taste
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 small scallion, chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, chopped (optional)
• rhubarb, peeled and chopped, roughly 2-3 large stalks

Combine all ingredients in small sauce pan.  Simmer approximately 20 minutes until tender.  Serve hot or chilled in fridge.

#3 Did you know you can grill and roast rhubarb??

Oh yes! Check out these two gems of recipes below.

Grilled Rhubarb

• Rhubarb stalks, cut into 2" chunks
• sugar to taste

Put rhubarb into a bowl and sprinkle liberally with sugar.  Toss and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Place on a grill rack on a hot grill.  Grill 5 minutes and flip for another approximately 5 minutes.  Rhubarb should be soft but not fallen apart.

Serve with meats or fish or just as a side dish to whatever you're having.  Or with ice cream!?  Yum!

Roasted Rhubarb Salad

• 2 cups rhubarb, cut into ¼” slices
• 1-2 TBLS each honey and balsamic vinegar
• 4 cups greens, chopped
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup nuts or seeds of choice, chopped
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 TBLS vinegar (apple cider, or your choice)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450. Toss rhubarb with honey and balsamic to coat. Spread in single layer on baking sheet and roast for 8-10 min. Toss greens, carrots, scallions, cheese and nuts. Whisk olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and dress salad. Add rhubarb and serve. 

#4 Here's my current favorite rhubarb application!

For all of you folks who have a sourdough starter and don't always know what to do with it!  :)

Dutch pancake with Rhubarb and Apples

• 2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• fresh ginger root, minced, to taste (I used approximately 2 teaspoons)
• 8 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 stalks rhubarb, peeled and sliced into 3/4" pieces
• cinnamon to taste
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cup sourdough starter (320 grams)
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup, or more to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Saute the apples and ginger in 2 T butter until beginning to soften.  Add rhubarb and cinnamon and stir for another 2 minutes.  Mix eggs, sourdough starter, milk, salt and maple syrup together in bowl.  Add apple mixture and mix.  Melt butter in 9x13" dish.   Add batter to dish and bake 15-20 minutes.  Delicious for breakfast or anytime of day!

#5 BONUS: Ideas for rhubarb from our CSA's private facebook group!!  

Yes, that's right!  All of our veggie-obsessed members get together in there and give each other ideas and inspiration!  Here's just a list and you can search for recipes online for these:

• Strawberry rhubarb jam
• Rhubarb bread
• Strawberry rhubarb crisp
• Rhubarb pineapple jam
• Fermented rhubarb salsa
• Rhubarb sauce over ice cream
• BBQ sauce with rhubarb
• Rhubarb-orange marmalade
• Quick pickled rhubarb
• Rhubarb syrup
• Rhubarb-mint jam
• Rhubarb buttermilk pudding
• Rhubarb lime ginger kraut (my next foray!!!)

What is your favorite way to use rhubarb?  Please reply and let me know and I'll add it to the list and try it myself!  I love to hear from you!