It pokes green shoots from the winter soil before spring even dawns.
It likes the cold when we do not. Through long winters and even April snowstorms, rhubarb braves the elements.
This harbinger of spring will greet shoppers in piles of bright crimson stalks when farmers return to Chicago-area markets this month. And most of that crop will be chopped up and tumbled into pie crusts.
We have no problem with that. Rhubarb pie is good. No, it’s great. There’s even a whole day dedicated to it: National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day is June 9.
But the crunchy, vibrant red stalks can be so much more than pie filling.
“Versatility is a key word when it comes to rhubarb,” said Michael Tsonton, executive chef and co-owner of Copperblue. “Everybody sees it with pies, but there’s just so much you can do with it on the savory side.”
Indeed, rhubarb’s long history involves millennia of other uses, though for most of that time only its roots were consumed, according to “The Produce Bible,” by Leanne Kitchen. Oh, and it was used as a purgative, not food.
Eventually, though, it did occur to people to eat it, but when they did, they chose the wrong part, according to “Food,” by Waverley Root. They ate the leaves, which contain high amounts of toxic oxalic acid, leading to disastrous results. (The stalks, as well, contain oxalic acid, but in such small amounts as to be no threat.)
Culinary uses developed later, after cultivars were grown with juicy, tender stalks, giving rise to savory dishes such as spiced meat koreshes (stews) of Iran, lamb stews of Georgia and tagines of North Africa.
Not until the 1800s did recipes begin to appear for sweet tarts and pies, according to “The Penguin Companion to Food,” by Alan Davidson. Soon sweet dishes became rhubarb’s primary destination in Britain and the U.S., leading to its nickname: pieplant.
Still, the stalks’ sharp acidity, toothsome texture and vibrant color attract chefs to develop all kinds of dishes, from marmalades to vinaigrettes, compotes to margaritas — even a rhubarb and grilled red onion aigre doux (sour-sweet sauce) for snapper. (We’ll deliver a twist on rhubarb pie, don’t worry; but first we’ll tempt with a few more inspiring variations.)
“I love rhubarb and I have used it many different ways,” said Erika Masuda, pastry chef at North Pond. “I like using rhubarb because it is something that is local … so beautiful, so red.”
Masuda makes rhubarb confit to serve with savory dishes. The five-day effort involves rounds of cooking slowly with sugar and then combining with glucose powder, all to maintain the color and firmness of the stalks, known as petioles. The resulting crimson jewellike pieces pair well with sweet dishes and savory, such as duck or pheasant.
A less time-consuming recipe, a compote, takes two days. First she covers rhubarb in sugar “to pull out tannins and a grassy, herbaceous note,” she said. The mixture rests overnight, then marinates in a simple syrup, again overnight. The result is not as firm as the confit, but can be used in similar ways, such as a beggar’s purse of roasted duck, pureed into a sauce, or reduced into a gelee for pork or venison.
Tsonton of Copperblue grows his own rhubarb. Rather, he harvests his own. The plant belongs to the neighbors, but the oversized monster grows into his yard. For six years he has been cutting it all down (with the neighbors’ blessing) and taking the stalks into work.
“It’s a really tasty patch of rhubarb,” he said.
He prizes rhubarb for “acidity and its snap and freshness.” This spring’s menu has him making marmalade to pair with duck liver terrine. He also has made conserve for pork dishes.
Raw rhubarb might make its way into a ragu of such fresh spring vegetables as fiddlehead ferns and ramps. The rhubarb cut into tiny dice, or brunoise, is mixed with lemon juice and a little honey, then a spoon or two is stirred into the cooked vegetables. “A little acidic crunch to go with the overly green taste of vegetable ragus,” the chef said. “A nice little surprise.”
And that’s the word, indeed, for what this vegetable/fruit (botanically, the former, but ruled the latter by U.S. Customs Court in the ’40s) can achieve. It only wants a chance to prove itself and a little stepping outside the pie crust.
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Ruminating on rhubarb
– When grown in hothouses, rhubarb’s flavor is milder, the stalks a less vibrant pink.
– Rhubarb needs 40 degree temperatures to break dormancy and stimulate spring growth.
– The Irish Giant variety boasts stalks as long as 5 feet and as thick as a man’s arm.
– The plants are hardy, remaining productive for 8 to 15 years.
– Peaks in late May. As the season progresses, the stalks become less red, more green when ripe.
– When buying, look for firm, crisp stalks with glossy skin.
– Don’t wash stalks until you’re ready to use them. Keep them in the crisper or wrapped in paper towels; if they’re in plastic, don’t seal the bag. It will last 3 to 7 days.
– It freezes well; just wash, chop, and seal in plastic bags. After thawing, though, rhubarb may be too juicy and your pie will need more thickener.
– To prep, remove any remaining leaves or portions of leaves. Cut off either end of the stalks, which tend to dry out, wash in cold water and chop. If stringy, the stalks can be peeled — but beware red juices, which can stain.
— J.G.
SOURCES
“A Taste of Rhubarb,” a cookbook from the Aledo, Ill., Rhubarb Festival; “Melissa’s Great Book of Produce,” by Cathy Thomas
Rhubarb compote
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Standing time: 16 hours
Yield: 4 servings
Erika Masuda, pastry chef at North Pond, uses this compote with savory and sweet dishes. Resting in sugar helps “to pull out tannins and a grassy, herbaceous note,” she said. If using the compote for savory dishes, she omits step 1.
1 pound fresh rhubarb stalks, cut into 3-inch lengths
3 cups sugar
2 cups water
1. Lay rhubarb flat in a baking pan; cover the pieces with sugar, about 2 cups. Let rest 8 hours.
2. Heat water and remaining 1 cup of the sugar to a boil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Remove rhubarb from sugar, discarding sugar. Add rhubarb to hot sugar syrup; simmer 10 minutes. Let stand 8 hours.
Nutrition information per serving:
211 calories, 1% of calories from fat, 0.2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 54 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 3 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
Rhubarb marmalade
Preparation time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Standing time: 8 hours
Yield: About 5-6 cups
This recipe is adapted from Michael Tsonton, executive chef and co-owner of Copperblue. He uses this marmalade with his duck liver terrine, accompanied by warm roasted pine nut-endive salad and grilled country bread. Tsonton said it also would work well with pork.
10 cassia buds, see note, or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 whole clove
1 whole green cardamom, smashed
1 star anise, broken into pieces
8 to 10 stalks rhubarb, chopped
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup grenadine syrup
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 oranges
1 lemon
1 piece (2-inches long) ginger root, grated
1. Heat the cassia buds, clove, cardamom and star anise in a medium dry skillet over low heat. Cook until spices toast and become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Wrap in a piece of cheesecloth; tie with kitchen string. Set aside.
2. Mix the rhubarb, granulated sugar, grenadine and brown sugar in a Dutch oven; stir in the spice bundle. Set aside at least 8 hours.
3. Grate the zest of the oranges and lemons; reserve. Peel the fruit, divided into sections. Add the orange and lemon sections to the rhubarb mixture; add just enough cold water to barely cover. Heat mixture to a full boil over medium-high heat; lower heat to a simmer. Cook until rhubarb is soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in the ginger and reserved zests. Stir 5 minutes, skim off foam; set aside to cool.
4. Pour into sterilized canning jars with lids, up to 1/4 inch from the top; tighten lids. Process in a boiling water bath 15 minutes (or, refrigerate and use within several weeks).
Note: Cassia buds, dried flower buds from the cassia tree, also the source of cinnamon, are available in specialty spice shops.
Nutrition information per tablespoon:
29 calories, 0% of calories from fat, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 7 g carbohydrates, 0 g protein, 1 mg sodium, 0.2 g fiber
Mom’s rhubarb meringue cream pie
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Chilling time: 3 hours
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
And here is the pie we promised. This version from Chicagoan Connie Fairbanks’ cookbook, “Scratch That: Seasonal Menus & Perfect Pairings,” is covered by a billowy meringue. She describes the pie as a less sweet version of her mother’s.
Crust: 1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons ice water
Filling:
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter, melted, cooled
2 eggs, beaten
6 stalks rhubarb, diced (about 2 1/2 pounds)
Meringue:
3 egg whites at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1. For the crust, pulse the flour and salt in a food processor 2-3 times. Add the shortening; process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 15 seconds. Add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing, until the dough comes together. Remove dough; form into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
2. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured board into an 11-inch circle. Place the dough in a 9-inch pie pan; flute the edges.
3. Heat oven to 400 degrees. For the filling, stir together the sugar, flour, lemon juice and nutmeg in a large bowl until combined. Stir in the butter; add the eggs, stirring until smooth. Stir in the rhubarb. Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell. Place the pie on a cookie sheet; bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees; bake until center does not jiggle, about 35 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, for the meringue, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together with a mixer on medium-high speed in a clean bowl until foamy. Beat in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until soft and glossy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
5. Remove the pie from the oven; let stand a few minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Spread meringue over the pie filling, sealing to the edge of the crust to prevent weeping or shrinking. Bake until the meringue is golden (watch carefully), about 10 minutes. Cool pie to room temperature. Cover; refrigerate until well set, at least 2 hours.
Nutrition information per serving:
276 calories, 41% of calories from fat, 12 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 57 mg cholesterol, 35 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein, 163 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
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Going to the rhubarb fest
Love rhubarb pie? More than 1,000 will be available for sampling at the annual Rhubarb Festival in Aledo, Ill. (about 30 miles south of the Quad Cities), June 1-2. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. but organizers warn to arrive by noon to make sure you get pie. The fest also will include a bake sale of pie and other rhubarb items, jams, cakes, etc.; plus the ever-popular giant rhubarb leaf contest. Admission is free. For information, call 309-582-2751 or go online to aledomainstreet.com (click on Events).
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jxgray@tribune.com
