RHUBARB
(Rheum rhabarbarum)
NUTRITION
Rhubarb is a tasty market treat that is perfect for sauces, jams, and baked goods and has great nutritional qualities. Rhubarb is a source of potassium, which helps to control blood pressure and reduces chances of strokes. Potassium can also lower the possibility of developing certain types of kidney stones and may help to prevent bone loss. The fiber in rhubarb is helpful for the gastrointestinal tract and assists in weight management, as you feel full faster with high fiber foods. With zero fat and cholesterol, low sodium content, small amounts of Vitamin C, and a pleasantly tart taste, rhubarb is a great choice for summer cooking.
SELECTION In the northwest rhubarb is often one of the first signs of spring. It's grown from crowns and a single plant can produce for decades. Fresh stalks are flat and range in color from green to crimson. Size does not indicate tenderness, but the deeper the red the sweeter the vegetable. Do not eat the leaves, as they are toxic!
PREPARATION TIPS Discard any leaves. While peeling is not necessary, some stalks may need destringing. Cook rhubarb in non-aluminum pans or you will end up with discolored rhubarb.
STORAGE Wrap rhubarb lightly in plastic and store in the coldest part of your refrigerator. It will keep much longer, but for the best flavor eat within two to three days. Rhubarb freezes very well - just dice and measure out 1 or 2 cups quantities and place in freezer bags and you will be recipe ready-to-go!
SEASONALITY Rhubarb is harvested in the Willamette Valley from early spring through summer but spring rhubarb is the most tender and flavorful. Later in the season it can be pithy and stringy.
Brown Betty
When you tire of eating fresh strawberries try this easy recipe.
3 cups fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons of butter
(room temperature)
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
½ cup brown sugar
4 cups diced rhubarb
(1-inch pieces)
4 cups strawberries (halved)
1 to 2 cups of sugar
(depends on tartness of
rhubarb and personal taste)
Juice and grated zest of one
organic orange
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a food processor or mixing bowl
blend the bread crumbs, butter, oil, nutmeg,coriander and brown sugar.
Line a 2-quart baking dish with one third of the crumb mixture, top with
the rhubarb and strawberries and sprinkle with sugar.
Drizzle with orange juice and sprinkle with the orange zest.
Blend the hazelnuts into the remaining two thirds of the crumb mixture
and pat over the top of the fruit.
Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.
Serve hot with ice cream or whipped cream.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Special Acknowledgments:
THANK YOU-
The Portland Clinic for supplying nutritional information.
The recipe is an adaptation from the Fresh From the
Garden Cookbook
by Ann Lovejoy,
2005, Sasquatch Press.
| The Farmer John Cookbook:
The Real Dirt on Vegetables is
the companion cookbook to the widely acclaimed and award-winning documentary
“The Real Dirt of Farmer John.” The cookbook features
recipes grouped by season and by vegetable, provides cooking tips,
serving suggestions, and evocative descriptions of each dish. It’s
a veritable cornucopia of new ways to use fruits, vegetables and herbs,
and is in part a cookbook, a gardening book and an inspiring tale
of community supported agriculture. http://www.therealdirt.net/ The Real Dirt on Farmer John is the true story of third-generation American farmer John Peterson’s journey of success, tribulation, failure and rebirth, through his childhood in the ‘50s, the tumultuous ‘60s, the hippie-influenced ‘70s, and the farm-crisis ‘80s, culminating in his transformation-based creation of a biodynamic, organic CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm serving 1,500 families in the Chicago area with weekly fresh produce. See Farmer John’s Documentary! If you haven’t seen the film, your next chance is on June 10, at 8 p.m. at the new Lucky Lab located on 1945 NW Quimby. Suggested $5 donation. |
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| To accommodate the
Rose Festival Art Show, Portland Farmers Market will temporarily move
north on Saturday June 17. Still located on the beautiful Park Blocks,
the one day change will result in a linear three-block market, stretching
from SW Market to SW Jefferson Sts. If you can’t locate your
favorite vendor on this day, please stop by the PFM information booth
at SW Park (9th) and Clay St. and we’ll be happy to help! The
market will return to its regular spot the following Saturday, June
24. Thank you for your continued support and enjoy the art show! |
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| Oregon Tilth’s Organic Education Center, located in West Linn, features a demonstration garden, resource library and classes. Nearly all the food grown at the OEC is distributed through Oregon Food Bank affiliated shelters. OEC provides free hands-on workshops the second Saturday of the month. For more information or to get involved see www.tilth.org. Upcoming classes at the OEC include: 7/1 All About Compost 8/5 Fall/Winter Gardening 9/2 SOIL Ecology and Health 10/7 Growing and Using Medicinal Herbs |
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| THANK YOU 2006 SEASON SPONSORS    |
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