Ladies pull dishes out of coolers. Men carry crock pots to the table.
As the protective covers are removed and the food is revealed, a seasoned hostess begins to group similar foods together.
Industrious women surround the table, stirring potatoes, croutoning salads, and garnishing cheesecake.
“Cheesecake! Yum.” Says one of the women at the table.
“Ooh, who brought cheesecake?” Asks another.
All eyes turn to find the cheesecake and its maker.
“What kind is it?” Someone asks. “It looks so amazing.”
“Rhubarb.” Replies the daring cook.
“Aah!” Swoons yet another. “I absolutely adore rhubarb.”
“Rhubarb and cheesecake. A match made in heaven.”
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In another town, at another place, and another time, I am standing near another table laden with food. The crowd carries a light-hearted conversation as it moves toward the proffered feast—that is if you'll allow me to call a fellowship meal/potluck/carry-in dinner a "feast." I don't know about you, but I have to say, the women I associate with are some pretty fantastic cooks.
We follow the couple in front of us through a buffet of pleasing sights and smells. We survey the meats before making our selection. There are saucy BBQ meatballs, grilled chicken breast, succulent roast beef, jalapeno popper chicken, and more.
After I've selected my meat, I reach for the handle of the spoon sticking out of the Cheesy Potatoes. Some call them “Funeral Potatoes.” Others call them “Party Potatoes,” but I'm going to stick with “Cheesy Potatoes.” “Funeral” sounds morbid, and “party” doesn't fit with a room full of Mennonites eating dinner together after morning worship.
I reach the green section of the buffet and finish filling my plate with a variety of salads. The salads are exceptional. There's Caesar Salad, Olive Garden Salad (Please forgive me, Olive Garden, but it's what they call it.) Southwest Corn Chip Salad, Bacon and Broccoli Salad, and more. I choose a couple different ones, but I will not try them all. After you taste too many different salads in one meal, they all start to taste weird.
On a regular day, I stick to eating one plate of food. But not on this day. For on this day, at this event, there are fresh plates on the dessert table. And the dessert table is no small thing. It is filled with photo-worthy desserts of every shape, size, style, flavor, and color.
As I wait for the line to move, I scan the options and start to make my selections.
The guy in front of us is eyeing something suspiciously. “I wonder what's in that.” He says.
“Looks like rhubarb.” My husband replies.
“C'mon. No one would do that at a fellowship meal!” Says the man.
I am puzzled.
Do that. Do what? Rhubarb?
Sorry, sir. Yes, I do.
With love in my heart and stars in my eyes, I reach for the spatula offering me some rhubarb.
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If I'm feeling VERY rhubarbish I make rhubarb crisp.
Rhubarb Crisp
5 cups rhubarb, diced
1 cup sugar (or less if you like the natural tang like I do)
2T cornstarch
½ tsp. Cinnamon
dash vanilla
(If this sounds a bit too aggressive for you, reduce the rhubarb to 3 cups and add 2 cups of strawberries. You’ll also want to reduce the sugar to 3/4 cup.)
Toss together and pour into 8x8 baking dish.
Topping
¾ cup flour
¾ cup rolled oats
¾ cup brown sugar
1 ¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
½ cup butter, softened
Crumb topping ingredients. Sprinkle over rhubarb. Bake @ 375° for 40-45 minutes.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
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If I'm feeling like it's time to convince a naysayer that rhubarb is edible, I make Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins with Pecan Streusel.
Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins with Pecan Streusel
2 ¼ cup flour (all purpose or 1:1 Gluten free)
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
1tsp. baking soda
1tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
1cup buttermilk
½ cup oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup strawberries, diced
1-2 cups rhubarb diced
Pecan Streusel
½ cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup brown sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. Cold butter
Instructions:
Crumb streusel ingredients together with a fork and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl stir together egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Gently stir the two together. Fold in strawberries and rhubarb. Scoop into lined muffin tin. Top with streusel.
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There are many more delicious ways to enjoy rhubarb like Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, Rhubarb Swirl, and this Rhubarb Juice which my friend Emily recently shared.
Tell me, please. What do you do with rhubarb?
This year I made a rhubarb syrup which we loved as a refreshing drink. Layer rhubarb and sugar in a jar. Do not add water. Put on a lid and shake twice a day. Juice will naturally develop, tangy and sweet then you can water it down or add to lemonade etc
Wow, I can hardly believe you haven’t eaten raw rhubarb with sugar…for me it wasn’t actually that delicious, but when else do you actually get a bowl of sugar to eat?!? 🤣 My current favorite is a rhubarb cake made in the same fashion as hot fudge cake (layer of rhubarb on bottom, thick dough over that, layer of cornstarch and sugar sprinkled over that and water poured over it all).