An Ode to Rhubarb

I’ve never really been a jam or jelly chic. But in the last 2 years after having made my own jam, I love it! I especially LOVE rhubarb and strawberry jam. I am also taking a hankering for gooseberry jam. Of course this hankering now comes after I dig up my bush and burn it……:(

I also enjoy making jam. And this year I'm hoping to make some more to refresh my larder.

My thoughts wandered to jam because of the growing rhubarb in my garden. I can’t wait to pick the tender shoots and cut them up, readying them for my jam. I love cooking and baking with rhubarb. Rhubarb is a great symbol of spring and new things. Some varieties even last quite a while into summer. And when my rhubarb is spent from my own garden, I then go on the hunt for rhubarb which has been left in someone’s garden to grow. Somehow even having a bag frozen in my freezer reminds me to not give up on Spring, it will come. And when it’s here, I can officially use my bag in the freezer in hopes of filling that spot with fresh rhubarb from my garden again!

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite rhubarb recipes:

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Topping

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 C plus 2 T butter

Batter

1 1/2 C rhubarb, but into 1/2" pieces

1 C sour cream 2 C flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 C brown sugar

1 egg

Pre-heat oven to 350° F.

Mix together sugar, nuts, 2 tablespoons butter and cinnamon until crumbly. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt, set aside.

Cream together brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter and egg thoroughly. (Truthfully, I have never alternated.....:) )Alternate adding dry ingredients and sour cream until all our incorporated into brown sugar/egg mixture. Stir in rhubarb. Pour into a greased 13" X 9" x 2" baking pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick come out clean and top is golden brown.