Kim Ode

I really love rhubarb, a generally underappreciated early summertime standard crop throughout the northern hemisphere. Here in Minnesota, by late May and early June thick bundles of the vibrant, gristly green and red stems begin appearing in the local farmers’ markets, and it’s fun to take advantage of this while I can, freezing some for use in fall or winter. Taking advantage of seasonal ingredients to incorporate into your cooking, it’s always great to have some ideas of what you can do with produce usually relegated to sugary desserts. Not that I’m complaining about that. Of course, I am a bit of a rhubarb purist, preferring it uncut/undiluted by strawberries or other filler.

So I was excited to see what culinary ideas would be presented in this entry in the Minnesota Historical Society’s Northern Plate cookbook series, celebrating local ingredients. Writer Kim Ode sketches out a bit of the history of rhubarb, traditionally known locally simply as “pie plant” from its roots in Asia to its legal reclassification as a fruit in the US by 1947 before discussing some ways to use it. Tips for freezing this seasonal treat for winter months, and a couple of foundation recipes for savory and sweet roasted rhubarb for use in various recipes listed later are particularly useful.

All in all, though, while these base recipes have a lot of promise they only really show up in a handful of the listed recipes, which I found a little uninspiring. Rhubarb in quesadillas, for instance. Sure, sounds good, but nothing groundbreaking. I also must admit I found a few of the recipes to be a little culturally appropriative in their titles as well, including such things as “shrimp in kimonos” and “chop-chop” stir fry. Focusing on rhubarb’s use in US Midwestern cuisine seems to be where the cookbook’s strengths really lie. While I may not ever try it, for instance, the recipe for rhubarb wine with its pounds and pounds of sugar and months fermenting in a bucket was quite an interesting idea, for instance.

In conclusion, I guess I’ll have to keep up my search for rhubarb inspirations.… (más)