Rhubarb
Although recipes treat rhubarb as a fruit, it is really a vegetable. It tart taste is excellent in a number of dessert dishes and combines well with other berries. The best season for rhubarb is late spring and early summer months. Rhubarb is a perennial that requires a cold dormant winter season.
The thick red and green stalks are the only edible part of the plant.
Don't eat the leaves or roots as they are toxic due to excessive oxalic acid.
Because rhubarb has a tart flavor, it is best served cooked and sweetened.
Selection
Choose rhubarb that has a vivid bright colored stalks that feel firm, crisp, and dry.
Avoid all stalks that may appear wilted, limp or have browned.
Storage
Rhubarb is best when prepared as soon as it is cut or purchased. It does not store well, so be warned. Use one of those new "green" storage bags to keep it as fresh as possible till cooked... about one week.
Wash rhubarb well before using in a recipe.
Preparation
Store bought rhubarb usually has the leaves and roots trimmed. But if you have it growing in garden, remove any leaves and root ends when harvesting.
Typically rhubarb is chopped or sliced for recipes.
Avoid cooking rhubarb in aluminum pots as it will produce an uneatable dish because of the chemical reaction of the rhubarb with the aluminum.
When cooked rhubarb contains: calcium, fiber, and Vitamins C and K.
1 pound of rhubarb stalks raw yields: 4 cups
1 pound of cooked rhubarb yields: 2 cups
Vegan Desserts
A Vegan Rhubarb
Sweet Sour Crispy Tart
Keep your eye open for FRESH RHUBARB! There is nothing like the flavor of fresh rhubarb and this tart recipe will excite your taste buds.
Yields: 8 servings
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Ingredients
The Crust
1 package frozen vegan pie dough, defrosted
The Filling
5 cups fresh rhubarb
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill Corn Starch
1 tablespoon Jarrow’s Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
non-stick oil spray
The Crumble Topping
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Organic Thick Oatmeal
1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
2 tablespoons Jarrow’s Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Tools
2 quart glass baking dish
large bowl
measuring spoons & cups
2 9-inch tart pans, with removable bottoms
1 insulated cookie sheet
knife
cutting board
Preparation
The Oven
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
The Tart
Spray the tart pas with a non-stick oil spray.
Press the prepared pie crusts into the tart pans and place the tarts atop an insulated cookie sheet. This will prevent hot spots or burning to occur during the baking process. It will also make removing the tarts from the oven easier.
Use a fork and with the tines mark the bottom the each to prevent the pie dough from bubbling up during the pre-bake.
Bake the pie dough lined tart pans for about 10 minutes.
The Filling
Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl and stir till completely coated and combined.
Spoon filling 1/2 of the filling contents into the dough lined tart pans and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
The Topping
While the filling is baking, create the crumble topping.
Place all the filling ingredients into a large bowl and with your fingers, mash the coconut oil into the dry ingredients.
This will take a few minutes and the mixture should resemble a coarse mixture that when squeezed in your palm should hold together.
Bake
After the filling has baked for 25 minutes, remove the tart pans and sprinkle half the topping mixture over the tops of each tart.
Return to the oven and cook for another 20-25 minutes until brown and bubbly.
Presentation
After the tarts have cooled, pop the bottom out of the frame and place on a beautiful cake pedestal for presentation. The Rhubarb Sweet Sour Crispy Tart is great served warm with a huge dollop of Soyatoo Whipped Topping on top.
Rhubarb Sweet Sour Crispy Tart Topped with SoyaToo Whipped Topping
A watercolor drawing of the Rhubarb Plant.
The Rhubarb Harvest
An Historical Photo of a Rhubarb Harvest
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