Rhubarb (Rhabarber)

keep getting Rhubarb from the backdoor neighbors... LOVE strawberry rhubarb pie!

never had it, as far as I know...

RECIPE, RECIPE!

ummm... well I never write it down but here goes... top and bottom pie crusts... use your fave recipe for crusts, I like mine flaky... bottom crust in pie pan (I like 9 in glass) cut up rhubarb in 1/2 inch or so sections toss it in with some sugar and cornstarch and I prefer frozen strawberries cause then you don't have to add any water layer the ingredients so they can mix up better. cut some butter and drop it around the top of your creation. (you're probably thinking "amounts... what about amounts..." well the goal is to fill up the pie with yummy stuff so... more sugar and strawberries if you want it sweeter, more rhubarb if you prefer tart. A couple of teaspoonfuls of cornstarch if you're using frozen berries. With fresh berries use less.) Top pie crust on... pinch your edges and slice a couple breathing holes in the top. Sprinkle a little sugar over the top. Tin foil the edges of your crust (so they don't burn) and pop it in the oven. I like 325 degrees with my crust. Cook til you've got think strawberry rhubarb bubbly's coming out the slits and take the tin foil off. Cook til the crust is light brown -- unless you prefer REALLY dark crust. Ummm... that's about as descriptive as it gets.

The Amish community my parents are from always have wonderful rhubarb-strawberry jams in them. I always stock up at Christmastime! I recently saw a recipe for rhubarb-blueberry pie. Probably the same as yours, Stacey, just blueberries for a change.

I MUST GET THAT RECIPE! I've been looking for "wonderful rhubarb-strawberry jams" since ages! Stacey, you like yours flaky, huh? Wouldn't ever have guessed!

does help explain a lot, doesn't it?

*growl*

does that mean the placating should commence? How are you today, beautiful?

Why, thank you, fine of course. Oh, hi there! How are you, Stacey?

commence away!

hmmm...now what would be the appropriate approach...hmmm...

hmmm...

hmmm... hmmm... omm... omm... omm mani padme omm... omm... ...

are you centered?

Not anymore. Been released in February. Feel ok now. What was the question?

It is high summer and nothing has been said about not eating the leaves of this particularly oxillate-ridden plant. Do not eat the stalks raw, either. Carefully dispose of the leaves so your household animals don't get to them, either. Neither of you will enjoy the results.

my uncle eats the stalks raw w/ salt.. is this bad?

Not particularly, as long as the green on the stalks has turned to some shade of rosy red. The oxillates are in the green stuff. (He has probably been doing this a while with no ill effects...has he contracted gout, btw?)

not that I know of... is that one of the ramifications?? .ok (amn) uhhh.... DAMN!

Gout is caused by the incomplete breakdown of digestive byproducts one of which is Uric Acid. The crystals lodge in the Great toe joint and cripples the sufferer. Oxalic acid crystals are amost as nasty - but they lodge in your throat and tongue and are toxic. Dieffenbachia has the same stuff in it and they call it "dumb cane" because those eating it are unable to make a sound. Everything has swollen shut. Keep your little ones and pets away from it.

I know some people who need to try that dish...

...of the green stuff...? I can think of a few, also!

What green stuff? I thought rhubarb was reddish.

Don't eat the leaves. They are green and toxic. The stalks are rosy-red and delicious.

RHUBARB FOOL This is a lovely, low-fat version of a classic English fruit dessert. 8 ounces fresh rhubarb stalks, trimmed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, or 8 ounces frozen rhubarb, thawed 1/4 cup sugar 3 tablespoons orange juice 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt Bring rhubarb, sugar and orange juice to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Partially cover pan and cook until rhubarb is very soft, about 6 minutes. Mix in Grand Marnier. Refrigerate until cold, about 15 minutes. Alternate layers of rhubarb mixture and yogurt in 2 large wine goblets or dessert dishes. Using small knife, swirl mixtures together. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 hour. 2 Servings: can be doubled. Bon App�tit April 1995

Looks like you're very much into swirling and creaming and whipping, Infospryte. �grin�

COUNTRY-STYLE STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB TART Hazelnuts are teamed with strawberries and rhubarb in this rustic tart. Vanilla ice cream is a must for serving. For crust 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 3 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter 1/4 cup (about) ice water For filling 1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon whipping cream (for glaze) 1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) hazelnuts, toasted, husked, chopped 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar 3 1/2 cups 1/3-inch-thick slices trimmed rhubarb (1 1/2 pounds untrimmed) 10 ounces strawberries, hulled, thickly sliced 3 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Vanilla ice cream For crust: Blend first 5 ingredients in processor until nuts are finely ground. Add butter; cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in enough water to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling.) Preheat oven to 400�F. Place 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom on baking sheet. Roll out dough on floured work surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to prepared baking sheet, centering atop tart pan bottom. For filling: Brush dough with some of egg glaze. Sprinkle hazelnuts over dough. Mix 3/4 cup sugar and next 5 ingredients in large bowl. Mound in center of dough, leaving 1 1/2-inch border over filling, pleating loosely and pinch any cracks to seal. Brush crust with remaining egg glaze. Sprinkle crust with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake tart until crust is brown and filling bubbles, about 55 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to rack and cool tart 15 minutes. Slide metal spatula under edges of tart to loosen. Transfer tart to platter. Serve warm with ice cream. Serves 8. Bon App�tit April 1997

SOON!

Yes! I thought sooner than Asparagus...but I may have forgotten after living for so many years where we have no seasons.