Rude Ways To Rhubarb

Fruit or veggie? Really, who can say? After potentially groundbreaking research on the fiery stalked specimen, I’m deflated to report that I am none the wiser. 

 

While most argue veggie, some serious rhubarb revellers dispute fruit… I don’t like to consider myself a fence sitter, but in this instance, I can see both sides of the argument. The majority rule makes vegetable the clear winner, but then it has to go and bare seeds like a fruit.  

 

What sent me into even more of a spin was reading the US’s decision to change rhubarb from vegetable to fruit in the 40s. I tell you, between World War II and the rhubarb fruit/veggie dilemma, FDR was dealing with some pretty serious stuff up there in The White House.

 

So, alas, I arrest my inconclusive case to present you with some seriously rude (as in cool) ways to rock out with rhubarb. 

 

Weekday-motivation-to-get-out-of-bed. I may have glammed it up a little with the use of adjectives like ‘poached’ instead of ‘stewed’ and ‘bush’ in front of the word ‘honey’, but stewed and lack of bush aside, it is god damn delicious. And simple. 

 

Place the rhubarb in a saucepan, with a small amount of water and sprinkling of raw sugar and let it simmer for 5 minutes or so and, ta da, you’re done! I’m assuming knowledge of how to cook porridge, sprinkle cinnamon and drizzle honey here.  

 

Take a walk on the wild side and ditch its boring apple counterpart. For the true dare devil, spice your crumble up with a stem of ginger. Serve hot out of the oven and let flounder in a pool of custard… 

 

The perfect combination of sweet and sour and one of my all-time favourite cakes. You can really follow any sour cream cake recipe that calls for fruit, using stewed rhubarb as its replacement. If you’re not prepared to DIY, Jade at Pearl Café knows how to bake a pretty mean one.   

 

Who said rhubarb was solely for dessert? Think sweet rhubarb, crunchy walnuts, bitter fennel and tart chevre atop a bed of mesclun. It's bound to be a crowd pleaser...