As a toddler, I knew that rhubarb got here from South Dakota.

In any case, the south facet of each farm’s storage sprouted a ruffled border of broad and crinkled leaves. Each Memorial Day picnic ended with latticed wedges of rhubarb pie. Over the winter, the aunts and uncles sipped rhubarb wine from final yr’s crop whereas Grandma put the ending touches on Sunday dinner.

In spring, rhubarb was as commonplace as lilacs. Desserts diversified amongst rhubarb sauce, rhubarb crisp, rhubarb cobbler or rhubarb pie.

If Mother felt like fussing, we might have rhubarb swirls. She’d pat a batch of Bisquick dough right into a rectangle, cowl it with chopped rhubarb, then roll it like a jellyroll. Inch-thick slices had been laid right into a 13-by-9 pan so you could possibly see the swirls. Lastly, she’d pour sizzling sugar syrup over the entire thing and bake it till the dough was golden and crackly and the rhubarb had melted right into a gooey jam.

Drizzled with cream skimmed from the milk jar, it was a dessert that I used to be sure couldn’t have existed in every other state, as a result of my mother solely lived in South Dakota.

It’s good that we develop up, in fact, even because it causes us to place apart our childhood certainties.

Crossing borders, I realized that rhubarb existed in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. I surmised that even North Dakota garages seemingly sported their very own ruffled borders.

Maybe the world was filled with rhubarb.

However then, a few decade in the past, whereas engaged on a cookbook about utilizing rhubarb in each candy and savory methods, rhubarb’s rarity was restored.

Acquaintances who’d grown up within the South had been dumbfounded by my process. “A cookbook about what? What’s a rhubarb?”

It seems that, whereas not restricted to South Dakota, rhubarb is an exemplary meals of the North — all the best way across the globe.

Originating in northern China as a medication, rhubarb then turned a staple of northern Russia earlier than making its means into the Nordic international locations, whose immigrants introduced it to South Dakota and elsewhere.

At the moment, Oregon, Washington and Michigan account for a lot of the U.S. manufacturing, offering the lengthy stretch of chilly temperatures that set off a resting interval, which spurs new progress.

Granted, there’s a factor known as “pressured rhubarb” that is very massive in the UK and entails rising rhubarb indoors in restricted gentle. Its chief promoting level is that it’s markedly sweeter than strange rhubarb.

This is unnecessary.

The entire level of consuming rhubarb is to expertise its tart, nearly tannic, even daunting taste. Nothing else “tastes like rhubarb.” Rhubarb is itself, and nothing else. This results in lovers and haters, and that’s wonderful. Extra meals ought to encourage definitive opinions.

Perhaps you could have your personal vegetation, maybe from cuttings handed via generations, otherwise you depend on the bounty of farmers markets. Now’s the season, for a number of puckery months. To these of us who pursue and persist on this Northern local weather, rhubarb stays a certainty that we by no means outgrow.

A number of issues about rhubarb

In case you’re new to rhubarb or aren’t fairly certain methods to prepare dinner with it, writer Kim Ode has some solutions.

Regardless of its time-honored presence in desserts, and its widespread identify of “pie plant,” rhubarb is a vegetable. Its Latin identify is Rheum rhabarbarum.

Sure, its leaves have a excessive focus of oxalic acid and may be poisonous, however most references observe that you just’d must eat lots of rhubarb leaves, as in kilos, to trigger an issue.

Harvested rhubarb retains for a number of days within the produce bin of your fridge. To maintain it even longer, wrap stalks in aluminum foil, defending ends, however leaving it free sufficient to let the ethylene fuel escape.

Rhubarb is low in carbohydrates and excessive in nutritional vitamins C and Ok, fiber and potassium. Rhubarb can be a wealthy supply of antioxidant plant compounds.

Rhubarb is sort of 95% water, which impacts the way it’s ready. If a recipe requires just a bit cooking liquid, don’t fret — will probably be wonderful.

Though an preliminary heating of rhubarb may end in extra sizzle than you assume is correct, keep in mind that rhubarb breaks down rapidly. Be affected person and the outcome will probably be much less soupy with a extra intense rhubarb taste.

Like many greens, roasting rhubarb not solely enhances the flavour, however offers a pleasant base for each candy and savory recipes or alone as a topping. You possibly can freeze roasted rhubarb, too.

Contemporary rhubarb is simple to freeze. Simply wash it, minimize it into half-inch items and put it in freezer luggage, leaving a superb half-inch of house on the high. Thaw and drain earlier than utilizing.

Another strategy to freeze: blanch the minimize and washed rhubarb (plunge it into boiling water for a minute, after which ice water for one more minute). Drain effectively and prepare in a single layer on a tray and freeze till rhubarb is strong. Switch to freezer luggage and freeze.

Cook dinner with the writer

Kim Ode will probably be instructing a web-based class, “Reinventing Rhubarb,” Could 28 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. via the North Home Folks Faculty in Grand Marais, Minn. Value is $60; for extra data and to register, go to northhouse.org.

Rhubarb Graham Muffins

Makes 12.

Be aware: From “Rhubarb Renaissance” by Kim Ode (Minnesota Historic Society Press, 2012).

• 1 1/4 c. finely crushed graham crackers (1 sleeve of crackers)

• 1 c. flour

• 1/2 c. brown sugar

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• Pinch of salt

• 1 egg, crushed

• 1/2 c. buttermilk

• 1/3 c. canola oil

• 3/4 c. rhubarb, chopped into 1/4-in. items

• 1/3 c. shredded sweetened coconut, non-compulsory

• Ornamental sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 levels. Coat muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups.

Whisk collectively cracker crumbs, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, stir collectively the egg, buttermilk and oil. Add to dry substances and stir till simply moistened. Fold in rhubarb and coconut, if utilizing.

Fill muffin cups two-thirds full. Sprinkle with ornamental sugar. Bake for 18 to twenty minutes, till golden. Take away muffin pan from oven and switch to a wire rack to chill. Fastidiously take away muffins from pan and serve.

Rhubarb Mostarda

Makes about 2/3 cup.

Be aware: This sweet-savory condiment is a pure with rhubarb. It is an incredible addition to a cheese plate, or an accompaniment to grilled meats. It is a “brighter” adaptation of the unique recipe in “Rhubarb Renaissance” by Kim Ode. (Minnesota Historic Society Press, 2012).

• 1 c. rhubarb, minimize in 1/2-in. items

• 1/4 c. finely minced purple onion

• 1/4 c. chopped dried mission figs

• 1/4 c. dry white wine

• 2 tbsp. sugar

• 1 tbsp. mustard seeds

• 1 tsp. dry mustard

• 1 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Place the rhubarb, onion, figs, wine and sugar in a saucepan and simmer gently for about 5 minutes, stirring ceaselessly. Add mustard seeds and dry mustard and proceed to simmer till the combination is thick and syrupy, one other 2 to three minutes. Add vinegar and prepare dinner for 30 seconds extra. Put aside to chill earlier than utilizing.

Frozen Roasted Rhubarb Meringue Pie

Serves 6 to eight.

Be aware: This pie must freeze at the least six hours, and ideally in a single day, so plan forward. From “Rhubarb Renaissance” by Kim Ode (Minnesota Historic Society Press, 2012).

For the crust:

• 1 3/4 c. finely crushed graham crackers (12 massive crackers)

• 1/4 c. powdered sugar

• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

• 2 tbsp. milk

For the filling:

• 3 c. rhubarb, minimize in 1-in. items

• 1/3 c. powdered sugar

• 1 tbsp. Triple Sec liqueur or orange juice

• Pinch salt

• 2 egg whites

• 1/2 c. granulated sugar

• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Instructions

To arrange the crust: Preheat oven to 350 levels. Evenly coat a pie plate with cooking spray. Stir collectively cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, butter and milk till effectively mixed. Reserving 1 tablespoon of crumbs for garnish, press the remainder into the pie plate, creating a good layer throughout the underside and up the perimeters. Bake for quarter-hour, then let cool on a wire rack.

To arrange the filling: Preheat oven to 375 levels. Place rhubarb in a shallow baking dish, resembling a pie plate, and sprinkle powdered sugar evenly over fruit. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring as soon as, till rhubarb may be very gentle. (Late summer time rhubarb might have much less moisture than the primary rhubarb of spring, so watch fastidiously, including a tablespoon of water if it appears to be scorching earlier than it is gentle.)

Fastidiously place roasted rhubarb in a blender and purée with Triple Sec (or orange juice) and salt. Or whisk briskly in a bowl to create a tough purée. Put aside.

In a saucepan over which a medium bowl will match, result in 2 inches of water to a boil. Whereas the water is heating, whisk collectively egg whites, granulated sugar, and cream of tartar in a medium bowl. Scale back warmth to maintain the water at a simmer and place the bowl over the saucepan. With a handheld mixer on medium velocity, beat the whites till foamy, about 3 minutes. Improve velocity to excessive and beat till the whites start to seem shiny, transferring the beaters across the bowl, about 3 minutes extra. Take away bowl from the pan and set on a counter; proceed beating combination till the meringue holds a stiff peak when the beaters are lifted.

Fold the rhubarb purée into the nice and cozy meringue till no streaks stay, then scrape into the graham cracker crust. Easy high and sprinkle the reserved crumbs over the filling. Place within the freezer, uncovered, for an hour, then gently cowl with plastic wrap and freeze till strong, at the least 6 hours or ideally in a single day. Take away from freezer about 10 minutes earlier than serving to make slicing simpler.

Kim Ode is the writer of “Rhubarb Renaissance” and a retired Star Tribune workers author.