what you should know
One of the first signs of spring, rhubarb's red stalks shoot up while the ground's still cold.
Because of its bracing astringency, rhubarb needs an adult dose of sweetener to tame its acidity and let the delicate underlying flavor come through.
stalking barb Look for firm, glossy stalks that are no more than one inch thick. (Most rhubarb varieties become fibrous as they grow larger.)
pie plant While it's really a vegetable, rhubarb's treated more like a fruit. It's been called "the pie plant" because that dessert is its most common incarnation. On June 9, celebrate National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day. Or head to Lanesboro, Minnesota for its Annual Rhubarb Festival.
acid tip Do not eat rhubarb leaves. They contain high amounts of oxalic acid, which can do bad things to you if you consume enough of it.
alumi-non As with most acidic foods, rhubarb should be not cooked in aluminum cookware. If you do, Elizabeth Schneider wrote in Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini, "you'll have clean cookware and tarnished rhubarb."
what you need
We're always recommending Edward Bunyard's singular Anatomy of Dessert. For a more recent classic on fresh fruit and its just desserts, try Chez Panisse Fruit, by Alice Waters, or Tartine, by Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson.
To hang with rhubarb, you'll need a solid glass pie plate and a nonstick tart pan. (Pie server and ice cream scoop are optional.)
what you do
Coconut & Lime's rhubarb soda is the perfect drink for barbecues and picnics. Not as plain as water. Not as sugary as soft drinks. (It also makes a good mixer with vodka and gin.)
Cook & Eat's scrumptious apple and rhubarb shortcake is like a big, hot, sugary scone.
We love this stewed rhubarb with ricotta alongside grilled fish and scallops, while this spicy rhubarb compote does wonders to grilled duck and chicken.
Cook & Eat broke out the cloves, caster sugar and rare white port for her rhubarb syllabub.
While the rhubarb has a natural affinity for strawberries, Coconut & Lime found that it loves raspberries, too.
featured recipe Aran's coconut, strawberry, white chocolate and rhubarb mousse cake is an inspired mash-up of flavors and textures. It's the featured recipes for week's Root Source Challenge. Visit Aran at Cannelle et Vanille.
What does it mean to blind bake?
What does it mean to blind bake?
Blind baking means to pre-bake a pastry shell before it is filled to protect the bottom of your tart, pie or quiche from turning soggy.
Fully blind-baked crusts are a must for pies with fillings like pudding and custard. Pastry for quiches and delicate fruit pies is partially cooked before filling and returning to the oven to finish cooking.
To blind bake, spread the pastry into the pan, chill until firm, prick with a fork to prevent air bubbles from forming and cover with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Cover the bottom of the pie plate with pastry weights, uncooked rice or beans to weigh down the pastry so it doesn't puff up in the oven; bake as directed. (If the edges start browning too soon, cover loosely with aluminum foil.)
