Rhubarb - you either love it or not. There doesn’t seem to be any in-between when it comes to this fruit that lends itself from a pale pink to a ruby red hue. This strange looking plant with its giant leaves and pink stems comes originally to us from China and Tibet. These ancient cultures used
rhubarb for medicinal purposes. Its leaves are very toxic, and they should never be eaten.Here are a few country-fair recipes for rhubarb - pick your favorite and see if your family can decide if they are rhubarb enthusiasts.
RHUBARB CREAM PIE - 2 cups rhubarb, washed, dried, and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk 2 eggs, separated
Mix sugar, flour, milk and egg yolks together. Pour this mixture over cut rhubarb and mix together well. Pour into an unbaked pie shell and bake in a 425 degree oven until fruit is tender and filling is a custard consistency. You can add meringue to baked pie using egg whites and 3 tbs. of sugar. Brown in oven for about 10 mins. Cool and serve.
RHUBARB COOKIE TREAT 4 cups trimmed, washed, and diced rhubarb 2 cups sugar divided 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 2 tbs. sweet-cream butter 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1 cup flour 1/2 tsp. salt
Heat oven to 350. Using a pre-buttered baking pan, place diced rhubarb in pan and sprinkle with 1 cup of sugar and all of cinnamon. Heat in oven for about 20 mins. Remove from oven and set aside. Cream together 2 tbs. butter and 1 cup sugar. Add eggs, gently stir in flour, and add salt. Mix gently incorporating all ingredients. Pour this mixture over hot rhubarb. Bake in oven for 1 hour. Remove, cool, and cut into squares .
FAVORITE RHUBARB TREAT 1 cup flour
3 tbs. powdered sugar 1/2 cup sweet-cream butter 2 cups trimmed, washed, diced rhubarb 2 eggs 1-1/2 cups sugar 1/4 cup flour 1/2 cup orange juice (not concentrate) 3/4 tsp. salt
Mix flour, powdered sugar and butter together and press into bottom of an ungreased 7-1/2 x 11-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 mins. Remove from oven and set aside. Mix rhubarb, eggs, sugar, flour, orange juice and salt together. Pour onto baked crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins. Using a knife inserted in center, check to see if center is set. If not, bake for an additional 5-8 mins. Test again, and when knife comes out clean, remove, cool, and serve.
Here is a very different kind of jam. Try it - you just might make this your favorite!
EASY RHUBARB JAM
