Rhubarb screams spring…like peanut butter screams jelly.

If you’re lucky enough to have a patch growing in your backyard, you probably know how hard it is to find rhubarb in the freezer section of your local grocery store (way harder than strawberries or blueberries…and if you know a place that sells it frozen, let me know!!).  If you don’t have some rhubarb growing, but you have a small section of your yard that you can give up to a patch, go find a friend who has some of these beauties growing and ask for a root.  Dig a hole, throw it in there and just let it do it’s thing.

Then make your friend a pie, because that’s the least you can do for them for sharing!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 – 2 pounds rhubarb, leaves removed and cut into 1/2″ pieces (about 6 cups)

1 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cornstarch (optional if you’re using frozen rhubarb)

1.  Place your cut rhubarb into a sauce pot (if you use frozen, do not defrost it).

2.  Throw in the sugar and vanilla and cook over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes (or until it begins to break down).

Note: Your rhubarb may not be that bright red hue that you are used to seeing…many rhubarb plants have green and thick stalks rather than the thin red ones we all know. It’s all the same!

3.  If you are using frozen, you might notice more liquid than if you used fresh  (if that’s the case, mix a couple of tablespoons of the liquid with the cornstarch and mix it into the rhubarb – cook for a few minutes until it thickens a bit)

4.  You will end up with this glorious sauce that is basically spring on your spoon.  Swirl it into your yogurt; drape it over your pancakes, spoon it over your cheesecake, sandwich it in between sliced pound cake or just eat it out of the pot (I totally did!)

So happy to live in a country that has 4 seasons so we can enjoy this beauty…

Quintessentially spring.

Quintessentially rhubarb.

Quintessentially good!