Grandma's Rhubarb

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N

I am up in Wisconsin right now visiting family and I just had to share this recipe with you. Have you ever had rhubarb? Some people have never heard of it, so I thought I would write about it. I honestly had no idea of the nutritional value of rhubarb, so I learned a few things, too!

My parents grow rhubarb in their garden, and my mom asked Grandma to make her Rhubarb torte. Even though she has the recipe, no one quite makes it like Grandma. Must be the dose of love that goes into it. But...before I just hand over the recipe to you, you have to read on about rhubarb.

Rhubarb is actually a vegetable (not a fruit!), and it looks a bit like celery. It is a stalk that is either red, pink or green. Red is the most popular and is full of anthocyanins (good for you phytochemicals). It is really tart, so you must combine with sugar unless you are really hard core. My mouth is watering just talking about how tart it is!

Rhubarb is really popular for pies (often combined with strawberries), tarts, tortes, wine, and even jam. It can grow year round in warmer climates, but here in Wisconsin it is best mid to late spring.

Be aware, it can have a laxative effect, so don't have too many slices of rhubarb pie!

Fun facts:

• In earlier days (and maybe still today), tender sticks of rhubarb dipped in sugar were used as a sweet treat for kids


• The term rhubarb in baseball describes a bench-clearing brawl

Nutrition facts

1 Cup diced equals:

25 calories, 5 g carb, 1 g protein, 0 fat, 2 g fiber

Good source of Vitamin K, Vitamin C, potassium, calcium, and manganese

Grandma Kohls Rhubarb Torte

1/2 Cup creamed butter

1 Cup flour

5 heaping teaspoons powdered sugar

Mix well. Pat into 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

While that is baking, beat the following:

2 eggs

1 1/2 Cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 Cup flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Beat until fluffy.

Add heaping 4 Cups chopped rhubarb. Spread over hot crust. Bake an additional 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sorry, I don't have a picture of the torte because we ate it all!

Photo courtesy of http://www.wellbeingwell.co.uk/

Labels: rhubarb, Tara Gidus

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