Third time's the charm?

When I was a kid, we had a rhubarb plant in the backyard.  We, like all kids who have a rhubarb plant in the backyard, we warned not to eat the leaves because they are poisonous.  Honestly, I can't imagine going up to some random jungle looking plant in the backyard and thinking to myself "oh, I think I'll eat this elephant ear sized leaf."  But, whatever.  I guess because parents know that kids do stupid stuff and think that if they know we know we can eat the stalks, we might try a leaf, they dutifully warn us.  For all the food we ate from the garden, I don't remember ever cooking with the rhubarb.  I remember my brother eating it raw, just to say he did and cutting some up and trying to get the cousins to eat "pink celery" as a trick.

Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp

Since then, though, I have come to love rhubarb.  With a little sugar stewed it is wonderful on vanilla ice cream, with strawberries as a pie, crumble or crisp it is delicious.  And at the farmers market this past Saturday I got a big bunch--it is the closest thing to a fruit available right now.  I took about two-thirds of the bunch sliced it up and made a crisp with the rhubarb and some strawberries I had in the freezer from last summer's "u-pick" at Greenbluff.  (I have a few things still in the freezer from last season that have to be used up to make room for new things and the freezer bowl for the ice cream maker, just in case the weather here ever warms up!)

Roasted Rhubarb Salad

But I still had two large stalks left and I knew just what I was going to do with them.  I had seen a recipe for roasted rhubarb salad.  What a great idea I thought--there aren't too many vegetables for salads even though there is now lettuce.  So, I followed the recipe up--warmed some honey, tossed the rhubarb pieces in it and then roasted in the oven just until soft.

Well, I don't normally consider myself someone who likes really sweet things, but that rhubarb roasted on the salad was so sour I could hardly eat it.  But there was easily two servings more left on that roasting pan.  I tried again--lettuce, mizuna, dried cranberries and roasted rhubarb.  I brought it to school for lunch which meant I really would eat it or else have to get take-out to make it through my three hour afternoon class.  Still it was hard to eat, as valiantly as I tried.  Maybe third time's the charm?

(Note well: this is proof that not all my ethical eating recipes turn out well.  Someone asked if I only blog about my successes, so for you, this is one I would NOT recommend!)