roasted-brown-sugar-rhubarb

I was listening to David Karp’s rhubarb segment on KCRW’s Good Food the other day, and was reminded of the roasted rhubarb recipe I created for my own segment on the same subject last spring.  Roasting cut-up rhubarb with a relatively small amount of brown sugar and a little black pepper makes an easy and unusual sweet-tart condimento for a cheese platter, gorgeous for spring holiday entertaining. I like to think of it as the spring equivalent of autumn quince paste.

Technically a vegetable, rhubarb is mostly used in desserts, often with strawberries, which I think unnecessarily overpowers rhubarb’s tart personality. Rhubarb is commonly stewed or sautéed, and many pie and crisp recipes call for too much sugar. So I did what I always do when I play with food: I took rhubarb through the simplest preparations and flavor combos to see what it liked best.

roasted-rhubarb-pan

It didn’t take me long to get to this:  Toss 1 pound of cut up rhubarb with 1/3 cup light brown sugar and a few grindings of black pepper to add a warm back note. Roast at 400 degrees until the rhubarb is tender and browned in places, and the sugar has caramelized, 25-30 minutes.  Scrape it all into a bowl, and there you go. Delicious with cheeses, smoked meats, and yes, for dessert with vanilla ice cream. Just be sure to use a non-reactive pan such as good old Pyrex.

Rhubarb is not a big deal crop in temperate California, and the varieties that do best here tend to the greenish rather than the brilliant reds we see in colder climes. The taste is the same, but the color when cooked is not always so pretty. Try to choose stalks that have at least some red so the finished spread is an appetizing pink color.

When I searched the recipe on the Good Food Blog, I discovered there were comments and queries I hadn’t answered! Mea culpa! Steve B asks what particular cheeses I would recommend serving with roasted rhubarb. Clearly a fresh crumbly goat and a mild blue, as evidenced in the photo above. I stopped by to see Andrew, my local cheese monger, to get more specific.

“Rogue River Blue and ‘Sainte Maure’ Belgique,” he instantly I.D.’d, as his fingers splayed my iPhone image. Other young French goat cheeses to try are ash-coated Valençay Frais (Loire) and Fleur Verte (Perigord), covered in thyme, tarragon, and pink peppercorns. Andrew also suggests Etorki, a Basque sheep’s milk cheese (less salty than Spanish versions), or a triple crème, such as Brillat Savarin.

So Steve B, wherever you are, thanks for writing in, and hope this helps as we come around again to rhubarb season.