Simmer the rhubarb in water to cover for 5 minutes, add sugar and simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved. This makes a delicious sauce to serve on pound cake, ice cream, french toast or pancakes. The hothouse variety is pale pink with tender, more delicate leaves, while the field variety, which usually starts appearing in markets in late May, has deeper red stalks and tougher, brighter leaves. We make ours with a crumb topping, and when the sweetness from the topping seeps in to the filling, it's like heaven. We cut up some stalks and put them out for the customers to try.
People always comment on how bitter it is, but in a pie, that's a different story.
It's her favorite. In fact, I'm looking at a rhubarb pie right now cooling on the counter. The filling is starting to seep through the topping, and it's filling the kitchen with wonderful smells. It's a passion, I tell you. In ancient civilizations, rhubarb was prized for its medicinal properties.