Rhubarb Recipes for Rhubarb Festival 2011
 

First Place Winner
Rhubarb Grillin Salsa
Enid Dunn & David Watson

6 cups rhubarb, finely diced
1 yellow pepper, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 orange pepper, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
½ to 1 cup green onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
Jalapeno pepper, to taste for heat level, finely chopped
1/3 cup brown or turbinado (raw cane) sugar
Fresh lime juice of 3 limes (approximately 1/3-1/2 cup)
2-3 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
1 cup rhubarb strawberry jam
1 tablespoon grated ginger or 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon mace
1 teaspoon galangal  (a flowery Thai  spice available at www.penzeys.com.  I use Penzey’s spices as they are in our back yard.  Penzey’s Spices, Wauwatosa, WI. is reasonable and always has top quality and service.  And no, they didn’t pay me for the plug!)

Blanch rhubarb for 10-12 seconds in boiling water.  Refresh under cold water and drain.  Place rhubarb in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until well blended.

Any of the ingredients may be modified to taste. This sauce/salsa lends layers of flavor to pork, chicken and fish.  The salsa/sauce may be brushed on as a sauce toward the end of grilling time or as an accompanying salsa side. If a thicker sauce is desired, add liquid Certo for a smooth texture.  I got that idea from the Amish in Indiana, but that is another story!  However, it works without interfering with the taste.

This recipe is an inspiration from The Rhubarb Compendium web site using their Rhubarb Salsa recipe for a base.
 

Second Place Winner
Connie's Rhubarb Crisp
Connie Kresbach

2 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 1/3 cups butter
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 cups rhubarb, chopped
1 cup white granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup flour
Dash of salt

In a large bowl, blend first six ingredients until very crumbly.  Set aside.  In a separate large bowl blend together rhubarb with remaining ingredients.  Spray bottom and sides of 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.  Layer bottom of pan with half of crumb mixture.  Spread rhubarb mixture over crumbs.  Spread remaining crumb mixture over rhubarb.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the top starts to bubble.  Cool and serve with ice cream.  Enjoy!

Perfect Rhubarb Pie
Phyllis Roessler

4 cups fresh rhubarb, sliced
4 cups boiling water
1 ½ cups sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon tapioca
1 egg
2 teaspoons water
Pastry for double crust 9” pie
1 tablespoon butter

Place rhubarb in a medium bowl.  Cover with boiling water.  In another medium bowl combine sugar, flour and tapioca.  Drain rhubarb.  Add to sugar mixture.  Add egg and 2 teaspoons water.  Mix well.  Line pie pan with bottom pastry.  Add filling.  Dot with butter.  Add pastry top.  Slit the top.  Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees.  Bake an additional 30 – 35 minutes until golden brown and filling is bubbly. 

Banana Rhubarb Bars
Julia Borgen

3 eggs
2 ¼ cups sugar
¾ cup butter
2 cups rhubarb, chopped
2 large bananas, very ripe
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
3 (scant) cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt

Mix eggs, sugar and butter in a large bowl.  Blend together rhubarb, bananas and buttermilk in a blender and add to sugar mixture.  Stir.  Add flour, soda, vanilla and salt.  Mix well.  Bake in a large 11 x 17 greased and floured pan for 25 – 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
3 ½ cups powdered sugar
One 8-ounce package cream cheese
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla.
Variation:  1 cup of coconut may be added.

Place all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Mix well.

Rhubarb Crisp
Doris Schuck

4 cups rhubarb, chopped
1 ½ cups sugar
One 3-ounce box strawberry Jell-O®
One 18.5-ounce box yellow cake mix
1 ½ sticks margarine, melted

Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.  Place rhubarb in bottom of pan.  Layer with remaining ingredients in order listed.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
 

Rhubarb Margarita
Loni Kemp

4 cups rhubarb juice, sweetened to taste
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons Rose’s Lime juice
Tequila to taste

Rhubarb Oatmeal Bars
Yvonne Nyenhuis

½ cup butter
¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups Quaker Oats, (quick or old-fashioned) uncooked
2 cups rhubarb, chopped

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Beat well.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Mix well.  Add oats and rhubarb.  Spread mixture on a greased 10-inch  pie plate (or a 9 x 13 inch pan.)  Bake at 375 degrees for ½ hour.

Variation:  May be topped with a crumb topping and chopped black walnuts.
 

Rhubarb Bran Muffins
Heidi Dybing

2 cups boiling water
1 ½ cups wheat bran
½ cup oat bran
1 ½ cup unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup ground flax seed
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup rhubarb, finely chopped
3 eggs
½ cup canola oil
1 cup milk

Mix boiling water, wheat bran and oat bran in a large bowl.  Let stand until cooled and water is absorbed.  In a separate large bowl mix flours, flax seed, sugar, wheat germ, salt, soda and cinnamon.  Stir rhubarb into flour mixture.  Beat eggs.  Whisk eggs into flour mixture.  Wisk in canola oil and then milk.  Add bran mixture.  Stir together just until moistened.  Spoon into greased muffin tins.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Makes 20 muffins.
 

Chocolate Rhubarb Biscotti
Heidi Dybing

1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
½ cup cocoa
¼ cup ground flax seed
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon soda
1 ½ cups miniature chocolate chips
½ cup rhubarb, finely chopped
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, mix together first eight ingredients.  Stir in chocolate chips and rhubarb.  In a small bowl whisk together eggs and vanilla.  Stir into rhubarb mixture and mix until consistency is like thick play dough.  (You may need to add a few drops of water to moisten.)  Form dough into three logs.  Place on parchment paper on a baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cool.  Slice.  Bake again at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.  Makes three dozen. 

Lemon Rhubarb Cake
Lynn Jacobson

One 18.5 ounce package lemon cake mix with pudding in the mix
Ingredients listed on cake mix box MINUS THE OIL
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups rhubarb, sliced
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup whipping cream

In a large bowl mix the cake mix with required ingredients but DO NOT ADD the OIL.  Add vanilla.  Spread mixture in a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Spread the rhubarb over the cake mixture.  In a small bowl mix sugar with nutmeg.  Sprinkle over the rhubarb. Pour cream on the top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50 – 60 minutes. 

Connie’s Rhubarb - Cranberry Cookies
Connie Kresbach

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup shortening (Crisco®)
3 eggs
2 2/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 ½ cups fresh rhubarb, chopped
1 cup shredded coconut
One 4-ounce package dried cranberries
1 cup white baking morsels
1 cup macadamia nuts and walnuts, chopped

In a large bowl cream together sugars and shortening.  Add eggs, flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder.  Cream together.  Stir in rhubarb and coconut.  Stir in cranberries and nuts.  Mix until well blended.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Roll cookie dough into balls the size of a quarter or bigger.  Bake at 350 degrees for 18 – 21 minutes.  Cool.  Mix 1 cup white baking morsels with 1 tablespoon Crisco® in a small microwave-safe bowl.  Melt for one minute in microwave.  Drizzle over cookies.
 

Rhubarb Lemon Herbed Spritzer (non-alcoholic)
Gary Engstrom

1 pound rhubarb (about 4 cups), cut crosswise into ½ inch slices
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons chopped fresh herb leaves (e.g. rosemary, mint)
½ cup lemon juice
Soda water

In a medium saucepan combine rhubarb, water, sugar and herbs.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes.  Rhubarb pieces will disintegrate.   Remove from heat.  Strain out the solids with a fine mesh strainer.  (To produce a clearer lliquid you can additionally pass the concentrate through a cheese cloth or jelly bag.)  Add lemon juice.  Adjust the sweetness if necessary.  Chill until ready to serve.  To serve, fill a glass one third to one half of a glass with the prepared concentrate.  Add soda water or carbonated water to fill rest of glass.  Makes 3 to 4 cups concentrate or 6 to 8 cups spritzer.

Variations:   Lemon juice may be fresh squeezed or prepared.  Two teaspoons citric acid may be substituted for lemon juice.  Concentrate also makes an excellent margarita mix.  Combine 1/3 cup of concentrate with ¼ cup of tequila and serve over ice.

Note:  The spritzer made for the tasting event used half the water, half the sugar, ½ cup prepared lemon juice per 5 ½ cups of rhubarb concentrate and the herb used was mint.  It was served as one part soda water with one part rhubarb concentrate.
 

Rhubeans
Heidi Dybing

3 pounds dry pinto or navy beans, soaked and cooked
(Save cooking liquid)
8 cups rhubarb, chopped
4 cups onions, chopped
3 cups brown sugar
2 cups maple syrup
1 cup molasses
2 tablespoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons pepper

Mix all in a large baking pan.  Add bean liquid to cover.  Bake at 325 - 350 degrees for 2 ½ to 3 hours.  Uncover (to cook down) and continue to cook until desired consistency.  Makes lots!