6 Ways to Use Rhubarb
Yep, it’s still rhubarb season. The tangy spring vegetable (and yep, it’s a vegetable) is delicious in pies and crisps, but it’s also sensational in so many other dishes, both sweet and savory. Because the stalks are so puckery, rhubarb almost always needs to be sweetened somehow, or paired with sweet ingredients.
1. Muffins and scones.Fold diced rhubarb into yourmuffin batteror scone dough.
2. Poached.Gently cook spears of rhubarb in sugar water spiced with cinnamon and vanilla beans, for spooning overrice pudding, fresh ricotta or ice cream.
3. Ketchup.Take advantage of rhubarb’s tang and its short season to make atomato-less versionof this staple sauce that you can keep in your fridge.
4. Chutney.Cook rhubarb with onion, spices, sugar and vinegar to make a sweet-and-savorychutneyfor spreading on crackers or cheese or even crackers made of cheese.
5. Syrup.Cook rhubarb in an extra-sweet simple syrup, then strain. Add the sweet-tart syrup tosparkling water, Champagne or cocktails such as thisRhubarb Mojito.
6. Meat braises.The naturally lemony vegetable is great with fattyporkorlamb braises. Add it to a braise during the last 15 minutes of cooking, so that it doesn’t get mushy, or bake it with a little sugar and herbs to serve alongside.
Kristin Donnelly is a formerFood & Wineeditor and cofounder ofStewart & Claire, an all-natural line of lip balms made in Brooklyn.