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A prolific and precocious springtime "fruit", rhubarb looks like stalks of pinkish green or even magenta celery. Its flavour, however, is much more tart, making it ideal company for sugar in sweet dishes like crisps, compotes, and pie - from which it gets its second name, "pie plant." But rhubarb also lends a puckery-tart fruitiness to savory dishes, and pairs very nicely with pork and poultry.
Types of Rhubarb
There are two basic types of rhubarb found in markets and larger grocery stores: the older, traditional variety, with thicker, greener stalks, and the more intensely-colored, slender-stalked variety, sometimes called hothouse rhubarb. The deep red stalks certainly make for brighter, more attractive dishes, but the concentrated color indicates concentrated tartness, and the greener stalks have a nicely balanced, mellow flavor.
Rhubarb Season
Hothouse rhubarb is available most of the year, while field-grown stalks are available in early spring. (The Pacific Northwest has a second harvest of rhubarb between June and July.)
How to Buy & Store Rhubarb
Whatever their colour, the stalks should be heavy and crisp with taut, shiny skin. Watch out for rubbery, fibrous, dry stalks. Before storing, remove any leaves from the rhubarb stalks and discard. Rhubarb stalks can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days, unwashed and sealed in an air tight plastic bag or tightly wrapped in plastic. It is best to store fresh rhubarb in whole stalks because cut or diced pieces will dry out more quickly. Trim just before using. Rhubarb can be frozen for future use by cutting the stalks into 1-inch lengths and packaging in airtight bags or by stewing first and then freezing. Rhubarb does not need to be sweetened before it is frozen.
How to Prepare Rhubarb
Rhubarb leaves contain both oxalic acid and a more potent, unidentified toxin, so trimming and discarding them is essential. While it's tempting to peel the fibrous skin as you chop the stalks, try to resist it--the skin holds lots of colour and flavour.
Cooking Rhubarb
Rhubarb can be eaten raw but because of its tartness, it is generally cooked and sweetened first. It can be sweetened with sugar, honey, syrup, or berry preserves. When cooking rhubarb do not use aluminum, iron or copper pans. Rhubarb has high acidity and will react with these types of metals. The reaction will cause the rhubarb to turn a brownish color and can cause the pan to discolor. It is best to use anodized aluminum, non-stick coated aluminum, or enameled cast iron pans. If the rhubarb is being baked, glass bakeware can be used also.Two things happen to rhubarb when it's cooked: its juices thicken, and it falls apart into fraying shreds of translucent fibers. Heavily cooked rhubarb has the perfect jellied consistency for jams, chutneys, and compotes, but isn't so attractive when stir-fried or arranged on a tart. Quick heat yields tender but cohesive rhubarb pieces with rich flavor and a natural, glossy sheen.
Rhubarb Nutrition
Rhubarb stalks are highly nutritious, containing loads of calcium, manganese, vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber, and a whole host of antioxidants.
Details above taken from here http://localfoods.about.com/od/spring/tp/All-About-Rhubarb.htm
and here http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--1110/all-about-rhubarb.asp
Rhubarb Crisp – Low Carb and Gluten-Free
If you are looking for a low carb rhubarb dessert then look no further than this sugar-free rhubarb crisp ... with a truly crispy almond flour topping.
Ingredients:
Crisp Topping:
1¼ cup almond flour
½ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
⅓ cup golden flax seed meal
⅓ cup pecan or walnut pieces
¼ cup Swerve Sweetener or other erythritol sweetener
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
6 tablespoons butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon liquid stevia extract
Rhubarb Filling:
2 pounds rhubarb, sliced into ½-inch pieces
⅓ cup Swerve Sweetener or other erythritol sweetener
¼ cup ground chia seeds (you can grind whole chia seeds in a coffee grinder)
¼ tsp liquid stevia extract
Instructions:
1. For the topping, preheat oven to 300F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, shredded coconut, flax seed meal, pecan or walnut pieces, erythritol sweetener, cinnamon and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the butter, vanilla and stevia extract.
3.Add butter to the almond flour mixture and use a pastry cutter or two knives to blend in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Spread out evenly on prepared baking sheet and pat down with hands to flatten slightly.
4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Remove and let cool completely.
5. For the filling, preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, combine rhubarb, erythritol sweetener, ground chia seeds and stevia extract, tossing to coat rhubarb well.
6. Spread rhubarb mixture into a 9x13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until mixture is bubbling and rhubarb is tender.
7. Remove filling from oven and remove foil. Break cooled topping into pieces with your hand and place over filling to cover completely. Serve warm. Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.
Notes:
Serves 12. Each serving has 11 g of carbs and 6 g of fiber.
Total NET CARBS = 5 g.
199 Calories; 17g Fat (59.6% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 16mg Cholesterol; 165mg Sodium
Grateful thanks to Carolyn for this super recipe, original idea here
http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2014/05/low-carb-sugar-free-rhubarb-crisp.html
All the best Jan
