I couldn’t believe it, but it’s true. April is almost over! Most of the time I’m anxiously awaiting the beginning of May so I can plant the seedlings I bought, um, in March, from the greenhouse when I just want green and growing things. This year, besides being crazy-busy, I bought daffodils, shamrocks, hyacinths, and violas instead. And although I did throw a few seeds in a raised bed back in March, I haven’t paid that much attention to the garden site. So imagine my surprise to notice the rhubarb positivly overgrowing it’s bed!
I should have stood a child next to the plant so you can see how tall these stalks are, but here’s Brett posing with a few he picked.
Growing rhubarb is something of a new experience for me. I decided to plant some four years ago when strawberries were on sale for a dollar a pint but rhubarb cost an arm and a leg for three stalks. I was warned by several people that the little plant in its gallon pot would quickly be three foot square, but that was fine. I planted it in a four by four foot garden bed and looked forward to strawberry-rhubarb everything.
The first year I wasn’t supposed to pick any and the next two years you pick frugally. No biggie; three or four stalks twice a year was enough to satisfy my spring-time craving for pie. Last year the goats ate quite a bit, but by then the plant was well-established and we still made several recipes.
But this year I’m gonna need more recipes!
Thankfully, there’s Pinterest. I found a brilliant suggestion for Strawberry Rhubarb Sugar Cookie Crisp from Heather Christo. I may never cook rhubarb any other way again.
And it was easy! Chop up some strawberries and rhubarb, coat them in flour and sugar, dump into pan. Then mix up a sugar cookie recipe, roll it out about half an inch thick and lay it on top! Much easier than a pie crust and soooooo delicious!
Her recipe makes a 9×13 pan, but I didn’t have that many strawberries so I put mine in a pie plate.
We might be eating the extra dough straight out of the fridge…
Daddy's Tractor 
Rhubarb is one of my all time favorites! My Grandma used to make us rhubarb sauce when I was little. When I was Ireland, I started a sugar free version with diet 7-up.
I love that you’re willing to share your rural lifestyle with us. I grew up in the city and have chosen to live in a small, rural town and love to read about others’ experiences. Your blog is an inspiration.
That looks so good… makes me want to grow it 🙂
I will check with my mom she LOVES rhubarb and I think has lot of recipes I’ll let you know if she has a good one that’s not a pie or dessert, as I know there are a lot of those out there that will make us all think there is not enough rhubarb and strawberries 😉
Try this one! I use a strawberry rhubarb mixture instead of just rhubarb when I make it.
Rhubarb-Ginger Upside Down Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups chopped rhubarb 1/2 inch)
1/4 cup plus 2/3 cup sugar, divided
3 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/3 cups cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 8×8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; line bottom with parchment paper. Spray sides of pan and paper with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In medium bowl, combine rhubarb, 1/4 cup of the sugar and crystallized ginger; toss to blend.
3. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in medium skillet over medium heat.
4. Add brown sugar; cook until sugar is melted. Spread evenly in bottom of pan; top with rhubarb mixture.
5. In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground ginger, coriander and salt.
6. In large bowl, beat remaining tablespoons butter at medium speed until smooth. Add remaining 2/3 cup sugar; beat 4 to 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl several times. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low; beat in half of the flour mixture until combined. Alternately stir in milk and remaining flour mixture in two batches, mixing just until combined. (Stirring in remaining milk and flour mixture instead of using an electric mixer makes this cake extra-tender.)
7. Spread batter over rhubarb, pressing with spatula to remove as much air as possible. Tap pan on counter several times to remove air. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until cake is golden brown, firm to the touch in center and toothpick inserted in center halfway down comes out clean.
8. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Run knife around edges of pan. Invert onto serving platter; carefully remove pan and parchment. Cool completely.
Oh. My. There will never be enough strawberries and rhubarb in the world ever again.