I have heard on many occasions the complaint that shopping at the Farmer’s Markets in Vancouver is too expensive. I have to agree to some extent, there is a cost for buying quality food, and two of the tricks is to stick to the fresh produce and order in bulk. For example, today I bought spinach, dandelion greens, bok choi and rhubarb. It was a small shopping session today because, well, it is the end of the month, so money is tight; I am trying to empty my freezer so that I can defrost it; and I will be eating Easter dinner at my sister-in-law’s place, and hope to get the usual left-over tupperware package that has become a joy-filled tradition. This week’s shopping is unusual, but I only spent $25, of which $8 went towards two packages of Fair Trade Chocolate treats for my nieces, so I think I did pretty well!
Rhubarb is great for the Vancouver climate, it seems to grow almost by itself, and the root can be easily split in early spring or fall, if you would like to share, or start more plants. Each cup of rhubarb gives you 16% vitamin C, 2% vitamin A, 12% calcium and 1% iron of your daily requirements, based on a 2,000 calorie diet. And that is pretty good for an early spring pick-me-up.
Everybody has had rhubarb in a sugary, baked form, but when I first went “local”, I ended up searching high and low for savory rhubarb recipes. Here are some that piqued my interest. Let me know what you think of them, or if you have any you would like to share.
Grilled Oysters with Rhubarb-Ginger Compote
Ingredients:
2 rhubarb stalks, thinly sliced 1 shallot, minced 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root 2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese sweet cooking wine) or sherry 2 tablespoons white wine 12 freshly shucked oysters 1 tablespoon olive oil
Procedure:
Combine all compote ingredients in a nonreactive saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the rhubarb has softened and the compote has a thick, sauce like consistency. Set aside.
Brust the oysters lightly with olive oil and gill over a hot flame for about 3 minutes on each side until the oysters are just heated through.
To serve, spoon some of the compote onto each plate and arrange 3 oysters in the center.
Rhubarb Mustard Salsa (for grilled fish)
Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil 1/2 lb rhubarb 1+ T sugar 1 1/2 T Dijon mustard 1/2 small red onion, chopped 1/4 tsp lime juice 1 T chopped fresh parsley 1 tsp chopped fresh basil salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
Procedure:
heat oil in skillet over medium heat. add rhubarb and sugar, cook, stirring often, until rhubarb is soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.
Corned Beef with Rhubarb Mustard Sauce
Ingredients:
4 lbs corned beef brisket (trimmed of all fat) 4 whole cloves 1 large onion 4 cups diced rhubarb (1/2 inch pieces) 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup coarse-grained Dijon style prepared mustard Small red potatoes (optional) Sugar snap pea pods (optional) Chopped fresh thyme (optional)
Procedure:
In an 8 qt saucepan, place brisket and enough water to cover. Insert whole cloves into onion and add to pot. Heat to boiling over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat 2.5 to 3 hours or until fork-tender.
Meanwhile, in a 4 quart saucepan combine rhubarb, sugar, and mustard until will mixed. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened, Cool to room temp.
Heat oven to 400 F. Transfer brisket to small baking pan. Spoon 1/2 cup of rhubarb-mustard sauce on top of brisket. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned. If desired cook potatoes in briskets cooking liquid. When potatoes are tender remove and cook pea pods in liquid. Put remaining rhubarb-mustard sauce in a serving dish.
To serve, place brisket on serving platter. Place potatoes and pea pods on platter. Garnish with chopped thyme. Serve with additional sauce.