Rhubarb Rhubarb

8

 0 0 0 3

Mark's Magic Rhubarb Compote

Rhubarb. Late Spring. Poisonous Leaves. Strange fruit springing up from the ground like celery. Used like applesauce. Looks like Swiss chard but definitely isn’t.

How weird can one vegetable/fruit get?

Rhubarb has always been something I’ve avoided in my culinary repertoire. But the other day, Mark from the Beach emailed me a photo of his latest success story–and surprise, surprise it involved the ubiquitous late spring farmers’ market vegetable/fruit that is rhubarb.

For those of you, like me, who may be wondering about the fruit/vegetable conundrum, Wikipedia has come to the rescue:

Rhubarb is usually considered to be a VEGETABLE; however, in the United States, a New York court decided in 1947 that since it was used in the United States as a FRUIT, it was to be counted as a fruit for the purposes of regulations and duties.

Rhubarb TV show

On a completely different tangent, there was a British Television comedy from the 1980s called “Rhubarb Rhubarb.” The show is also (British) acting parlance derived from instructions that directors give the extras on the set to create a sense of activity behind the main scene being filmed or being performed on stage. Again, Wikipedia,

In the United Kingdom it is or was common for a crowd of extras in acting to shout the word “rhubarb” repeatedly and out of step with each other, to cause the effect of general hubbub.

But back to your dinner this weekend. After receiving Mark’s beautiful photograph, I asked for a few instructions on how to make this. And here’s what he provided. Straightforward, simple, and delicious…

 

Rhubarb

Mark’s Cooking Instructions: Rhubarb Compote in 5 Easy Steps:

1. Cut it up (one stalk chopped up is plenty for two people) into one inch pieces.
2. Place in a sauce pan with cold water. Bring to the boil and drain immediately.
3. Return to the sauce pan,  add a good lump of butter (maybe just 1/4 stick) and a tablespoon of sugar.
4. Gently cook on low for ten minutes stirring occasionally.
5. When the pork is done, (you have sautéed it), deglaze the pan with the rhubarb.

Et voila!

Grill a pork chop or two. You now have a perfect compote that enables you to eschew the bog-standard applesauce, and wow your friends.

- See more at: http://www.alunchboxblog.com/rhubarb-rhubarb/?preview=true&preview_id=3753&preview_nonce=1e1da66252#sthash.dVtV79SH.dpuf