Storecipe of the Week: Rhubarb Crunch

Rhubarb is a vegetable that, unfortunately, I am not too familiar with.  I have never baked with it or eaten it.  When I received a submission for Rhubarb Crunch, I was so excited to learn about it, cook with it, and taste it.  

I started off by doing some research about the plant.  The first important thing that I learned was that the stalks are the edible parts, not the leaf. The leaf is supposed to be toxic, so stay away!  The fresh crispy stalks are similar to celery and have a tart taste.  Sugar usually off balances the tartness when baking.  

Nutritionally, the root is 95% water and is rich in calcium, vitamin C and dietary fiber.  Rhubarb root has been used for medicinal purposes, especially in traditional Chinese medicine.  The roots can be used to help the digestive system as a laxative and, therefore, the fruit is known as a slimming agent.  The roots, also, seem to lower blood glucose levels.

Peaking in the Spring months, rhubarb is popular ingredient in summer dishes.  People commonly use it in pies, jams, sauces, jellies, and juices.  Before summer is over, go out and get some rhubarb and make a pie, crunch or jam to have for the winter.  With that being said, I am so excited to present Linda Pfeifer Basham's story and recipe of Rhubarb Crunch.

Story:

My grandmother Aleila Isabelle Pfeifer lived to be 101 years old. She passed a few years ago, but will long be remembered and missed by me. She was the one who taught me to cook and bake. We lived on a dairy farm, that she and my grandpa had lived on when they were raising their three sons, one of them being my dad. When I was 5 years old, my grandparents moved into town to retire, so, my family moved into the farm.  Even though they moved to town, you would find them back in the barn at 5 o'clock, every morning, helping my dad milk the cows. 

I was so fortunate to see my grandma every day.  She was there when I left for school, in the morning, and then when I got home, until the cows were milked at 5 PM. When she wasn't teaching me how to cook and bake, her true love, we would have tea parties.  One of my favorite recipes that we would make every spring was rhubarb crunch.   Today, I still have some of the original rhubarb plants from my great-aunt's farm, which I use in my crunch.

Grandma was always out in the garden with her wide rimmed bonnet. Rhubarb Crunch was one of my favorite desserts and reminds me of her whenever I make and eat it.  She tended to our garden and lives on in our hearts. She was always there to share my problems and joys and I miss her dearly.

Thoughts:

1 C. flour

1 C. brown sugar

3/4 C. oatmeal

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 C. butter, melted

4 C. rhubarb, diced

1 C. sugar

2 T. cornstarch

1 C. water

1 tsp. vanilla

Putting the Memory Together:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8" x 8" pan.  Mix flour, brown sugar, oatmeal, cinnamon and melted butter until it forms a crumble mixture.

Pat half of the mixture in the pan, reserving the other half for the topping.

Dice rhubarb.

Top the mixture with rhubarb pieces.

In a saucepan over medium/low heat, combine sugar and cornstarch until mixed well.  Add water and vanilla.

Cook in pan over medium/high heat until thick and clear, stirring occasionally.

Pour hot mixture, evenly, over rhubarb.

Top with remaining crumb mixture.

Place in oven and bake for 1 hour.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whip cream and think of grandma out in the garden with her wide rimmed bonnet.

Full Recipe (print version)

Thoughts:

1 C. flour

1 C. brown sugar

3/4 C. oatmeal

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 C. butter, melted

4 C. rhubarb, diced

1 C. sugar

2 T. cornstarch

1 C. water

1 tsp. vanilla

Putting the Memory Together:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8" x 8" pan.  Mix flour, brown sugar, oatmeal, cinnamon and melted butter until it forms a crumble mixture.  Pat half of the mixture in the pan, reserving the other half for the topping.  Dice rhubarb.  Top the mixture with rhubarb pieces.  In a saucepan over medium/low heat, combine sugar and cornstarch until mixed well.  Add water and vanilla.  Cook in pan over medium/high heat until thick and clear, stirring occasionally.  Pour hot mixture over rhubarb and top with remaining crumb mixture.  Place in oven and bake for 1 hour.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whip cream and think of grandma out in the garden with her wide rimmed bonnet.