Got Myself Into a Bit of a Rhubarb

When my mother in law sold her parents' home after her father died at 95, there was one interesting clause in the contract. She retained the right to harvest up to half the rhubarb she and her daddy had planted when she was a little girl. As long as she lived in the area, once each spring she would phone to see how it was coming and arrange a time when she might come over without bothering anyone.

So Mr. Maryn likes rhubarb, without the adulteration of raspberries or strawberries. I made a from-scratch cobbler yesterday that came out really well even though I did modifications to make it healthier. I figured I'd share it.

Maryn's Rhubarb Cobbler

1 C. sugar (or 1/2 sugar and 1/2 bakeable sugar substitute like Splenda)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
4 1/2 C. rhubarb, fresh or frozen, cut in 1/2"slices (about 1 - 1.25 lb)
1 1/2 C. water
few drops red food coloring
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine (substituting low-fat margarine works)

1 C. flour
6 T. sugar (or 1/2 sugar and 1/2 bakeable sugar substitute)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 C. butter or margarine (I used 3 Tbsp.)
6 T. milk or almond milk
1/3 C. chopped pecans
3/4 tsp. grated orange peel (orange zest)

Preheat oven to 400F. Measure stick butter or margarine for topping and set out to soften.

In saucepan, combine sugar and cinnamon. Add rhubarb, water and coloring. Cook and stir until mixture boils; cook 2 min. more. Stir in 2 T. butter until it melts. Pour mixture into a 1 1/2 - 2 qt. casserole or baking dish. Keep bubbling hot in oven. (Or prepare the topping first, then do this step.)

For topping, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in softened butter with pastry blender or two forks; stir in milk, pecans and orange peel. Push topping from soup spoon in dollops atop hot fruit, leaving only small gaps. (It will spread to close or nearly close them.) Bake at 400 degrees for 25 - 30 min. Serve with cream or ice cream. Or without.

It was quite tasty, and with reduced fat and sugar, not especially unhealthy.

If you're going to make this, put together the topping first. It takes longer than boiling the rhubarb, by a pretty good margin. And it was good without any ice cream, too!

I didn't reduce it at all. It was about as runny as a cherry pie, able to hold the basic shape of the cut serving but with some thick juice leaking out the edges.

Thanks for the link to the original rhubarb thread. I'd looked for it but failed to locate it earlier. Much appreciated.

Maryn, who served it on plates rather than in bowls

Someone here at AW tells a story about her grandmother taking her along when she was collecting dandelion greens for a salad. Apparently treated lawns were unsafe or untasty, so they'd seek a neglected cemetery. I always wanted to use that in fiction.

Maryn, story stealer

I've had chicory "coffee" before--I wonder what part of the plant it's from? It's not like there was this gigantic and capable means of looking things up at my fingertips...