photo by Durgan

Rhubarb is an old-fashioned favorite from the garden. It gives so much and asks for so little in return. The leaves are toxic, but the tart stalks lend themselves well to simple desserts. Fruits and sugar tame the zing. It can be chopped and frozen in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you’ve never been a fan of it or have an abundance to use up, you’ll enjoy the following recipes.

Rhubarb Tea

8 cups rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 cups water
juice of one orange or lemon, about 2-1/2 tablespoons
1 pint fresh strawberries, mashed
3/4 cup sugar
fresh mint

Place rhubarb and water in a pot. Simmer for 20 minutes until rhubarb is tender. Strain the liquid. Pour it into a blender. Add the citrus juice and strawberries. Add sugar, and blend until dissolved and well combined. Cool and serve over ice. Garnish with fresh mint.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Filling:
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced or 10 ounce frozen, sliced, sweetened strawberries, thawed
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Cake:
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cold butter
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cold butter

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 9-by-13-inch pan. In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; stir in rhubarb and strawberries. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in lemon juice. Cool.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat together eggs, buttermilk and vanilla; fold in crumb mixture until moistened. Spoon two-thirds of the batter into prepared 9-by-13-inch pan. Add filling layer over batter evenly. Layer the remaining one-third batter. For topping, combine sugar and flour. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; sprinkle over cake batter evenly. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. — Brenda, Missouri

Layered Rhubarb Dessert

8 cups rhubarb, finely chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1 6-ounce package strawberry gelatin
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 9-by-13-inch pan. Place rhubarb on bottom of prepared pan. Sprinkle rhubarb with sugar. Sprinkle gelatin over the top. Sprinkle cake mix, then drizzle butter over the top. Sprinkle with coconut, then nuts. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

Rhubarb Bars

Crust:
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup butter

Filling:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup cream or milk
3 eggs
5 cups cutup rhubarb

Topping:
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 9-by-13-inch pan. Mix flour and sugar. Cut in butter. Press into a 9-by-13-inch greased pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Combine sugar and flour. Whisk in cream and eggs. Stir in rhubarb. Pour over crust. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until filling is set. Cool. Beat cream cheese and sugar until well mixed. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over cooled filling. Refrigerate.

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