I made a lovely rhubarb drink a couple summers ago.
Persian Rhubarb drink
This one is made from a syrup, or sherbet in Persian. And now’s the time, since rhubarb is in season. You can also pick lots of rhubarb, chop it, and freeze for a later date. The frozen rhubarb gets a little mushy, so it’s not ideal for pie or crisp, but great for something like this drink.
1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup water
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup fresh lime juice
fresh mint sprigs
In a stainless steel saucepan, bring the rhubarb and water to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer for about 1/2 hour. Strain, discard the fiber, and return to the pan, with the sugar and lime juice. Simmer on low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Simmer another 1/2 hour, until it looks syrupy. Strain into a glass bowl and cool.
To make the drink, combine about 1 cup syrup with 4 cups ice water, stir, and taste. If it’s too strong, add more water, and add more syrup if you like it stronger. Pour over into ice-filled cups and add a sprig of mint.
I love rhubarb in many incarnations. When it is in season, I make go on a rhubarb love-fest, making rhubarb snack cake, rhubarb muffins, rhubarb and strawberry crisp, rhubarb fool, you name it. Rhubarb is also delicious in savory applications. Jamie Oliver has a recipe where you roast pork on top of a bed of rhubarb. http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/kiwi_kitchen/86878 The only addition that I would make to this is add a little sweetener to the rhubarb before roasting. Otherwise, it is pretty tart. There are more rhubarb recipes in Oliver's cookbook, Jamie at Home. Nigella Lawson's cookbooks also feature a multitude of rhubarb recipes. Also, do checkout this food52 link. http://www.food52.com/recipes/search?recipe_search=rhubarb&commit=Go Last year the site hosted a rhubarb contest. The winning recipe Rhubarb Curd Shortbread is really divine!
I agree with all the above. In addition, I like to stew rhubarb and serve it like you would applesauce as a side dish. Coarsely chop the rhubarb (in big enough chunks that it all will not disintegrate). Add sugar to taste and simmer until it's cooked down into a chunky sauce. I often add apples, oranges, ginger, nuts, berries...mix and match...whatever I have on hand. This is great with pork and I love it dolloped on oatmeal in the morning.
Traditionally rhubarb was one of the first things that came up in the garden, so it was an important spring food product. I cannot imagine going all winter without any fresh fruits or vegetables. I would have gobbled up all the rhubarb I could get my hands on. It's great both sweet or savory. I've made a salsa verde using rhubarb instead of tomatillos which turned out great.
I've been cooking rhubarb for more than 50 years, and there's still lots to learn! Last night I made an end-of-winter, peek-into-spring, savory rhubarb and rabbit that still has me dancing. Last summer in Sweden, I had a crunchy (!) rhubarb dessert with cardamom and yogurt that thrilled me all over again when I made something like it back here at home. It's a vegetable and a fruit. It's all sour but can be sweet. It can have form, or (like last night's rabbit) it can melt into a sauce.
I usually make at least one strawberry-rhubarb cobbler each year. I like tartness so the combination is perfect for me. Of course the rhubarb is sugared up. There is something about the taste that is like a spring tonic to me. I'd like to use it more. I might make a compote to stir into yogurt. And I've seen it used in savory dishes such as pork roast that sounds good to me.
9 Comments
Persian Rhubarb drink
This one is made from a syrup, or sherbet in Persian. And now’s the time, since rhubarb is in season. You can also pick lots of rhubarb, chop it, and freeze for a later date. The frozen rhubarb gets a little mushy, so it’s not ideal for pie or crisp, but great for something like this drink.
1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup water
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup fresh lime juice
fresh mint sprigs
In a stainless steel saucepan, bring the rhubarb and water to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer for about 1/2 hour. Strain, discard the fiber, and return to the pan, with the sugar and lime juice. Simmer on low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Simmer another 1/2 hour, until it looks syrupy. Strain into a glass bowl and cool.
To make the drink, combine about 1 cup syrup with 4 cups ice water, stir, and taste. If it’s too strong, add more water, and add more syrup if you like it stronger. Pour over into ice-filled cups and add a sprig of mint.
What was the question?
Where? I love rhubarb in crisps & pies personally.