Adventures in the Rhubarb Patch...

Our rhubarb patch was located out back by the neighbor's garage where the garage bordered our yard. The rhubarb got plenty of sun there, but it was isolated from our play area so it didn't get trampled. No one really bothered to go back there except at rhubarb picking time. I'd follow my mother back there in June to get rhubarb.

My mom taught me how to pick rhubarb. She showed me how to only pick the thick stalks and how you gently tug on them so they pull away from the center and never to cut them. If they don't pull readily away from the base, they aren't ripe or ready, she explained. I understood that right away. I was "proud." She'd tell me to hold out my arms and, as she harvested the ready rhubarb, she'd lay the big stalks across my arms. Sometimes she'd cut the leaves off first and sometimes she'd lay them whole across my arms. They were heavy for a little girl but I felt useful. I was "helping."

When we took them in the house, my job was to clean the mud off the rhubarb stalks. Then, if she had not cut the leaves off before we came in the house, it was my "job" to take the leaves back outside and put them under the rhubarb patch that remained. She explained that spreading the leaves under the rhubarb would "feed" the rhubarb for next year. I had no idea what that meant but I didn't ask questions. I just trusted her rhubarb wisdom.

While I was outside she cut the rhubarb into cubes. Once when she wasn't looking I licked a cube of rhubarb. Once. I decided, immediately, that rhubarb was AWFUL. I didn't want to have anything to do with it! It was yucky! Even if it was such a pretty dark pink! It was years before she talked me into eating rhubarb pie and I discovered how wonderful rhubarb really was. I think I was old enough to drive by then. I had missed several years of my mother's rhubarb pies. Darn it all.

Last weekend I harvested my first batch of 2005 rhubarb. When I brought those stalks with their leaves still warm from the sun into my kitchen, I could smell my mom. Or was it just the memory of my mom in the yard on rhubarb harvest day? I guess that's what it was. The new rhubarb tart I ate that night with friends tasted extra special. Now you can enjoy one too. Here's the new recipe.

Fresh Rhubarb Tart

One box of pre-prepared pie crusts. You'll need both crusts
4 to 5 cups fresh rhubarb cubes cut into 1-inch pieces (In a pinch, frozen will work fine.)
3/4 cup white sugar
3 Tbl cornstarch
1 tsp grated orange peel
1/4 to 1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 Tbl milk
2 tsp white sugar

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Open your pie crusts. Use one to line the bottom of a 10-inch tart pan or spring form pan with removable bottom. Turn the top edge of the pie crust over to form an edge so the rim of crust is about three quarters of an inch high. You don't have to be too precise but, if it's too high, your pie crust will droop as it bakes.

In a bowl, mix your rhubarb cubes, the 3/4 cup sugar and the cornstarch with the grated peel. Stir them until they are well combined. You want to make sure the cornstarch is well distributed. Pour the mixture into the crust in your pan.

Now sprinkle the nutmeg across the top of the rhubarb mixture. I like to sprinkle the nutmeg on top instead of mix it in because I want the nutmeg flavor to jump out when I bite into the tart. If you want it to be more subtle you can mix it in. That's also why I didn't specify an exact amount of nutmeg. I love nutmeg and I want it to be a bold flavor in my tart. You can vary the amount to your mood and taste.

Now unroll your other crust. You want to make sure the crust is slightly larger than your tart pan. If it's not, just take your rolling pin and roll it a tiny bit to stretch it so it's slightly larger. You're going to use a pizza cutter to cut strips of dough so your tart can have a lattice top and you'll be able to see your rhubarb peeking through. Cut one-inch strips from your pie crust. Use up the whole crust. Now you're going to begin making your lattice. This is a bit difficult to explain without a picture. Start with your middle pieces--the longest ones. Pick up the longest piece of crust and lay it across the middle of your tart. There will probably be an inch or two laying off the end on each side. Just tuck those along the side of your tart pan, down the sides. Don't worry if it's not perfect. Take the next longest piece and lay it the opposite way, again in the middle. If the first one was north to south, this one is going east to west. Keep going back and forth across your pie. Leave about a half inch between the rows so you can see your rhubarb in between. That way the pieces will get a basket-weave look. When you get to the ends you'll have the pieces that have the rounded edges. You'll use those to cover up along the sides where you've been tucking your edges in. Any time your pieces along the sides seem like they are too long, you can just cut them off and toss away the extra dough. It's nice to have some dough tucked along those edges though. It gives your tart some strength on the sides.

Now you're going to glaze the tart. Put your milk in a cup. Use a pastry brush to stroke the milk over the crust. Then sprinkle the sugar on lightly. You're ready to bake.

Put your tart in the oven at 425 degrees for 12 minutes. Then turn the oven down to 325 and bake it for 20 to 25 minutes more until it's golden brown. If the crust starts to get too brown, just lay a piece of aluminum foil over the whole tart to shield it from getting any darker.

Remove it from the oven when it's brown and let it cool. When you want to remove it from the pan, take a sharp knife and cut around the edge of the crust to loosen it. Then pop off the ring and display your dessert on a nice platter.

Serve room temperature or slightly warm. You can serve with ice cream, whipping cream or even plain. It's also great for a breakfast/brunch treat!

Hint: This can also be made with lots of other fruits: Peaches, cherries, etc.