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Rhubarb compote with fresh ginger and lemon |
All is well in Vancouver now that rhubarb has arrived!
It was a little dire this spring, but, finally, rhubarb appeared on the grocery shelves, and all was good. This ruby red veg/fruit was seasonally late, but heck, it was worth the wait.
The colour of rhubarb reminds me of Dorothy’s shiny red shoes from the Wizard of Oz. Not only are they both brilliant red, but they sparkle and have transformative powers. Dorothy magically goes home because she is wearing her ruby red slippers, and adding rhubarb to any dish guarantees that it will magically transform into brilliance.
It’s known as a vegetable but acts like a fruit. It’s sour as heck, but when you add a little sugar, you get a delightful blend of sweet and sour…it’s truly magical!
When it’s acting as a vegetable, it is good in compotes, chutneys, or relishes. These condiments add a dash of pizazz to many a dish!
When dressed up as a fruit, it’s a bit ‘high maintenance’ because it needs accessories, namely sugar. However, once dazzled up and ready to go, rhubarb desserts will always want you to come back for more.
I’ve got four rhubarb recipes to share with you today. The first is one I call rhubarb delight cake here….it's like an upside-down cake, (without the upside down) with a sponge-like cake on top.
Next is a rhubarb, apple crisp here which is always popular.
Next is a rhubarb-current chutney recipe here h to be served with pork tenderloin. And Finally below there’s a rhubarb ginger compote to go on ice cream or vanilla yogurt.