Rhubarb-palooza

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I know, I love a corny blog post title. What can I say? I'm still a bit of a loser, even though the braces have been off for over 10 years...

 ANYWAY! It has been raining here in southern Alberta so much, I was waiting for someone to take my dog away so that after the flood daschunds have a chance to procreate. There I go again, loser. Anyway, that much rain was proof positive that my struggling plants in past years were no one's fault but mine. Clearly I was not watering enough. I have other friends who agree. it's like we all know what gardening on the West Coast feels like. Sort of. Not really. Who are we kidding here, this is prairie land.

But with all that rain, my rhubarb was VERY happy. Earlier in the spring, I had already yanked out a bunch of stalks to make the amazing rhubarb cake recipe I got from the Foodess, but now my rhubarb had grown with a vengeance. I forgot to take a before picture - but look at the pile of rhubarb stalks - and look at that pile of leaves (and look how tiny my push mower looks beside it!) And then after pulling out probably half of what was growing like a mad person, I still have that huge rhubarb plant. So it was time to get down to rhubarb-y business. And I owed a friend and her hubby rhubarb crumble since he helped me load and unload a very heavy cement urn planter I bought second-hand, and my hubby was away. (yes, I say hubby, and yes, I buy astronomically heavy second-hand planters that even two women were incapable of budging...)

After ripping out all those stalks!

But I digress - the point is, I had a ton of rhubarb and the urge to try something new. So I picked up my pile of rhubarb stalks...and then went back and picked the ones off the ground that had fallen on my way inside. Rhubarb piles are like laundry...some of the socks and undies always fall out when you are carrying the laundry pile. Sorry for saying undies while discussing food...

For the first rhubarb recipe - I had been told that rhubarb juice is delish, but I had never made it. In fact, I had never even tasted it! How could I, lover of all things sweet and sour, have missed out! So I googled it, and it was EASY! I am going to make this every day! So if you want to make your own - check out the recipe below. And the colour! It looks like kool-aid but tastes like HEAVEN.

Rhubarb Juice:

2 ½ lbs rhubarb, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 Quarts of water
3 cups sugar

Juice of 2 lemons

Cook the rhubarb and water on medium heat until soft. Mash rhubarb up with potato masher. Strain. Add sugar and lemon juice. Chill.
*Amazing with gingerale or club soda!!!

And then came the rhubarb crumble. Of course, my favourite person, Martha Stewart, gave this to me personally. And by Martha Stewart, I mean the editors of Everyday Food magazine. And by personally, I mean delivered in the mail. I need to make another one, since this was all eaten by the helpful hubby and I want one of my own, because I like to gorge on food like that.

Rhubarb Crumble:

Crumble:

6 Tb unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp coarse salt

Beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt and mix with your hands until large pieces form. Scatter over filling.

Fruit filling:

2 pounds of rhubarb, thinly sliced (about 6 cups)

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

5 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Combine all ingredients. Place in a 8-inch baking dish (square or round is fine). Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes, tenting loosely with foil after the first 30 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes before serving.

Last but not least, the Foddess' rhubarb cake. I tweaked it a little and made it into muffins. The recipe is on her website here. I just put it in lined muffin tins and baked for about 25 minutes. YUM! Keep in mind, this cake is very moist, so don't under bake it. Part of these were also given away to a friend's hubby - this one put new brakes in my truck - hooray! Fun food fact - I have met women who don't like rhubarb (criminal!) but never men...who knows...but a man with rhubarb is a happy man.

On a side note, my neighbour then lovingly gifted me with more rhubarb from HIS garden. So I froze it. It will make a lovely dessert next week. I am worn out!

Happy Canada Day and Independence Day to everyone!!!