Sunday, June 17, 2007
mmm...rhubarb
Anyone see the Friends episode where Joey is auditioning for a commercial? All he has to say is "Mmm...soup!" but he can't manage to get the right words out. Well, that just makes me think of one of my favorite foods - hence the title - mmm...rhubarb.
Believe it or not, rhubarb is actually a vegetable, even though it kinda tastes like a fruit. It's also an Asian plant in the buckwheat family. Rhubarb is rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber.
The leaves of the plant are poisonous so don't eat them! They contain oxalic acid which can cause your tounge and throat to swell up and make breathing a bit tricky.
The edible stalks are called petioles and grow up to 18 inches long. They can be cut and used in pies, jams, jellies, sauces, wine and juice.
I found a Taste of Home website with a whole bunch of rhubarb recipes, including punch, pork chops, coconut bread pudding and even cod with rhubarb sauce. I haven't tried any of those, but I did make some yummy strawberry rhubarb freezer jam. Yum! I also made a strawberry rhubarb cake that was super easy.
4 cups sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb
1 pkg (3 ounces) raspberry gelatin (I used strawberry because I'm allergic to raspberries.)
1/3 cup sugar
1 pkg (18 ounce) yellow or white cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup butter (melted)
ice cream (optional)
Place rhubarb in a greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Sprinkle with the dry gelatin powder, sugar, and dry cake mix. Pour water evenly over dry ingredients. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until rhubarb is tender. Serve with ice cream if desired. (Who doesn't like ice cream?)
It's pretty easy and very yummy. I don't think I've ever seen frozen rhubarb, but if you decide to use that, the editors recommend measuring it while frozen, then letting it thaw in a colander, but don't squeeze out the juices.
What's your favorite thing to make with rhubarb?
Believe it or not, rhubarb is actually a vegetable, even though it kinda tastes like a fruit. It's also an Asian plant in the buckwheat family. Rhubarb is rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber.
The leaves of the plant are poisonous so don't eat them! They contain oxalic acid which can cause your tounge and throat to swell up and make breathing a bit tricky.
The edible stalks are called petioles and grow up to 18 inches long. They can be cut and used in pies, jams, jellies, sauces, wine and juice.
I found a Taste of Home website with a whole bunch of rhubarb recipes, including punch, pork chops, coconut bread pudding and even cod with rhubarb sauce. I haven't tried any of those, but I did make some yummy strawberry rhubarb freezer jam. Yum! I also made a strawberry rhubarb cake that was super easy.
4 cups sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb
1 pkg (3 ounces) raspberry gelatin (I used strawberry because I'm allergic to raspberries.)
1/3 cup sugar
1 pkg (18 ounce) yellow or white cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup butter (melted)
ice cream (optional)
Place rhubarb in a greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Sprinkle with the dry gelatin powder, sugar, and dry cake mix. Pour water evenly over dry ingredients. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until rhubarb is tender. Serve with ice cream if desired. (Who doesn't like ice cream?)
It's pretty easy and very yummy. I don't think I've ever seen frozen rhubarb, but if you decide to use that, the editors recommend measuring it while frozen, then letting it thaw in a colander, but don't squeeze out the juices.
What's your favorite thing to make with rhubarb?
# posted by angela @ 1:54 PM 
