Rhubarb in the kitchen



What is rhubarb

Rhubarb is a plant native to East Asia, widely used since ancient times by the peoples from which it originates, it is known for its digestive, purgative, purifying and decongestant properties in general.

It has dark green leaves that also become huge and juicy, partially red on the outside, white and green; the rhizome is used dried in herbal medicine, often in the form of herbal teas and decoctions, as a natural remedy to combat constipation.

In the kitchen both the fleshy stems are used and, with much moderation due to the high content of oxalic acid with a laxative power, also the leaves. Not recommended for use in pregnancy.

With a pleasantly bitter flavor, rhubarb is very versatile; so popular in the East, it is also appreciated in the Anglo-Saxon countries that marketed it already in ancient times; in English it is called "rhubarb", "Rhabarber" in German and "rhubarb" in Icelandic, a people who are crazy about it, especially in the sweet version, paired with strawberries.

Here is a recipe and some advice for purchases.

How to use rhubarb in the kitchen

As seen, there are many recipes that include the use of rhubarb, from sauces for appetizers to combine with cheeses, pasta dishes - such as gnocchi or risotto - and even together with meat, fish and other dishes.

Here is the Icelandic recipe of rhubarb tart :

> 250 g of spelled flour (or alternatively white flour type 1 or 0);

> 250 gr of oatmeal;

> half a teaspoon of baking soda;

> half a teaspoon of baking powder;

> 20 g of whole cane sugar, a pinch of whole sea salt;

> 150 g of butter;

> an egg;

> 150 g of rhubarb jam.

Preparation :

Put the flours on the pastry board with the baking powder, add the baking soda, salt, sugar, softened and diced butter and the egg; knead quickly with your fingertips and form a ball that you will be wrapping and storing for about half an hour in the fridge .

Then spread it in the tart pan, cover it with rhubarb jam, decorate it to taste and bake for about 20 minutes at 170 ° C, checking and possibly lowering the temperature if it tends to brown immediately. Remove from the oven and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and fresh strawberries next to it .

Where is the rhubarb

It is not easy to find rhubarb, few market stalls have it, but with a minimum of online research it turns out that, in addition to the possibility of self-producing it and growing it on its own, rhubarb can be purchased from local companies and nurseries .

Here are some useful addresses in this regard: ResNaturae, a company that overlooks Lake Lecco that also works rhubarb to produce jams and nectar, but also tools such as "terracotta bells for forcing" and uses the Artimondo platform for sales; Vallescuria is a company from Brianza that produces rhubarb grown without the use of chemical products;

Curiosities: If you love liqueurs, know that rhubarb is used as a basic ingredient for the production of many tonic-digestive bitters based on herbs, but also in simple non-alcoholic aperitifs.

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