Recipe: For The Underappreciated Rhubarb

Rhubarb Crisp

1. Toss 6 cups sliced fruit (mixture of rhubarb, apples & strawberries) with 1/3 cup turbinado sugar.  Place into a greased 8 x 8 glass baking dish.
2. Mix :  3/4 cup turbinado sugar, 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or oat flour or any flour you choose), 1/2 teaspoon each of nutmeg and cinnamon, and 1/3 cup safflower oil.
3. Place on top of fruit.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

Variations and tips:

• Double the topping and freeze half for another time.
• Substitute any fruit in the mixture like peaches, plums, raspberries, bluberries.  You can reduce or omit the sugar in the fruit mixture if rhubarb is not used.
• For a special treat, use a regular or graham cracker crust instead of a plain baking dish and still use the topping on top of the fruit.

Certain fruits and vegetables have a bad reputation or are just underappreciated.  Rhubarb is one of them.  Rhubarb has many healthy qualities.  Studies have show it to fight cancer.  In oriental medicine, it has been used as a laxative and has also been helpful to reduce excess fat and weight.

I thought a user friendly rhubarb recipe might spur a public relations turnaround for poor rhubarb.  Go ahead and give rhubarb a try.

Stay healthy & well,
Lisa