In Season :: Rhubarb Everything

A compote, a poach, a pickle & more

pretty and poached

Truth be told, I don’t think I’d ever tasted rhubarb until I was in my late 20’s, possibly even early 30’s, which is an absolute shame and somewhat astounding given it’s one of my favorite things to eat. If you’re new to rhubarb, or it’s not in your regular spring/early summer rotation, well, perhaps this post will urge you in a new direction. Tart, sexy, smooth and punchy all at the same time. For me, it adds a bit of brightness, balance and joy to any dish or on its own. Apologies ahead of time, you’ll be getting a lot of rhubarb content from me in the next 2 weeks…there are too many delicious things not to send them out into the online world (rhubarb tiramisu!, rhubarb-rose tart!, fermented rhubarb hot sauce!) Get psyched, cause I am.

rhubarb stalks, chic as hell

Let’s start with a very quick seasonal primer/rhubarb 101:

*It’s technically a vegetable, but is typically used as you would a fruit—a lot of baking, pastry, sweet applications. But there’s some wonderful savory stuff you can do with it as well (see the pickled rhubarb recipe below).

*It’s incredibly tart and will make your lips pucker, but if you treat it right, it’s the perfect balance of sweet and sour.

*Rhubarb in Danish is rabarber. Felt like you needed to know that, it’s such a good word.

*It prefers cooler climates. Lucky for me it’s abundant in NYC/the Northeast and in Denmark. For all of you in Cali, Texas and elsewhere with year-round warmth, sorry if you’re lightly envious—though I could write a long, long list of all the items you have access to instead (a whole lot of sunshine being number one).

*Peak season is May and June (at least where I am), but consider this April post a good warm up. If you’re in the UK, forced rhubarb usually appears around February. Farmers often replant rhubarb crowns/tops in dark, warm sheds which “forces” them to grow quickly as they’re seeking light. The result is a thinner, tender stalk with more sweetness and a shocking fuschia pink color.

*Rhubarb is a good source of vitamin K (good for blood clotting and bone health) and it’s high in antioxidants (great for your heart, cancer, general anti-inflammation/anti-aging).

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Here’s three foundational recipes that you can knock in 20 minutes or less and weave into your everyday eating/cooking.

Rhubarb-Rose Geranium Compote

I’ll make a large batch of this and keep it in the fridge for a few weeks sometimes longer, but it’ll go fast. Rose geranium is a varietal of geranium and makes this compote extra special. Don’t have it/can’t be bothered to find, leave it out—it’s totally fine! Note: a compote is just a jam with less sugar and some chunks. I really love chunks.

Eat it with: morning yogurt/granola; swirled into oatmeal; rippled into ice cream; smeared on toast with butter; dolloped over ricotta or stracciatella and swiped up with focaccia; drop the sugar content a bit, pop in some peppercorn and a slick of dijon mustard and serve it with roast pork, duck or fish.

500g rhubarb, small diced

3-4 stems of rose geranium leaf *(leave it out entirely or sub for 1 Tbsp of dried rose petals or dried lilac leaves packed in a cheesecloth sachet or tea bag)

175-225g sugar (depends on how tart rhubarb is, add more to fit your tastebuds)

1 teaspoon vanilla powder / 1 vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons extract)

40g rosé wine or white wine or just water (or any liquor or aperitif you feel like experimenting with…lillet is delicious)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

a pinch / 2g kosher salt (US) or sea salt (outside the US)

Simmer all ingredients over low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Bump the heat to medium for the final 5 minutes to deepen the flavor, caramelize the sugars and make the texture a little more jammy.  Remove rose geranium leaves and discard. Cool and blend with an immersion hand-blender or just mash a bit with a fork. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks, or freeze for up to 4 months.

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Poached Rhubarb

see reference photo at the top. pretty similar to the compote above, but less sugar, more salt and acid. this is a quick recipe cause it’s a quick make.

Eat it with: anything you feel like. lovely with a buttery, creamy soft or semi-soft cheese like tomme or a caramely hard cheese like gouda. also tasty with all the things mentioned under compote. serve it atop pancakes, crepes or cake with a little salty whipped crème fraîche.

4-6 stalks of rhubarb, cut into 3” / 7cm pieces (or a little short like shown right above, or cut in half on a diagonal as shown in the first photo)

70g (6 tablespoons) sugar (for about 200g rhubarb - adjust sugar more or less as needed if stalks are quite tart, add more while poaching)

2-3 tablespoons water

2-3 tablespoons white wine, rosé wine or a lite vinegar (or all water works too)

a notch or two of lemon peel

1/3 vanilla bean split down the middle (yes, 1/3 - they’re expensive!) or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder *leave out if you’d rather this more savory

pinch of kosher salt (US) or sea salt (outside the US)

Place rhubarb in a small pot and toss with sugar. Pour in water and wine/vinegar over top. Add lemon, vanilla and salt. Cover with a cartouche (piece of parchment paper cut into a circle sized to the diameter of the pot. Gently simmer on low heat until tender, 6-10 minutes. Gently remove the rhubarb pieces and store in the fridge. Save the poaching liquid for spring cocktails or with sparkling water!

*Add aromatics in a sachet if you’d like (ie dried rose petals, lilac petals, black or pink peppercorns, coriander seeds, lots of options here)

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Pickled Rhubarb Ribbons with Pink Peppercorn

As promised in the previous post…here’s the pickled rhubarb recipe. It’s tasty and goes with lots of things (this wedge salad with blue cheese dressing being one of them). You can ribbon out the rhubarb using a mandolin or just pickle it in small chunks. Ribbons are pretty fun though, just saying. The pink peppercorn used here adds a really nice aromatic undertone and warmth to the rhubarb. I would definitely recommend it if you can find it.

6-8 rhubarb stalks (a little more or a little less)

Pickling liquid: 

175g sugar

25g kosher salt or sea salt

500ml red wine vinegar

250ml water

4g / 2 teaspoons pink peppercorn

1g / 1 teaspoon black peppercorn

2 bay leaves 

Trim rhubarb stalks and cut into 3 equal pieces. No need to peel them. Using a mandolin, shave as thinly as possible on the thicker part of the rhubarb stalk - keeping the ribbons as intact as possible.  Or cut the rhubarb with a knife as **thinly** as possible. Any scrap ends can be used as pickled chunks or saved for a compote.

Warm pickling liquid over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved, cool slightly, and pour over ribbons. Save any excess pickling liquid for another pickle session.

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Thanks for reading! Rhubarb tiramisu is on deck in just a few days…it’s a springtime dream.

x, M