Rhubarb Renaissance

Author Kim Ode

Minnesota Historical Society Press (March 1, 2012)

Rhubarb sheds its image as a sugar-swathed pie plant to find its place in appetizers, salads, side dishes, entrées, and more—while also remaining one of the best desserts around.

Description

Many know rhubarb thanks to a shockingly tart introduction in childhood, likely countered by dipping the stalk in sugar, or as simply “the pie plant,” a worthy component of custard or mixed-fruit pastries. Why not expand the concept beyond those idyllic, long ago summer days? A s ingredients and techniques have evolved to suit modern tastes, so too have opportunities to showcase this oft-overlooked vegetable. In Rhubarb Renaissance, seasoned writer and baker Kim Ode invites us to join her in celebrating rhubarb as one of the great flavors of horticulture.

In a lively re-introduction to this versatile vegetable, more than fifty creative recipes highlight uses from savory to sweet. Notes on rhubarb’s historic medicinal uses, preservation advice, and kitchen basics including foundation recipes for roasted rhubarb set up a selection of appetizers, entrées, desserts, and breads. Expand your repertoire with clever concoctions such as Rhubarb Corn Fritters, Turkey Tenderloins with RhubarBQ Sauce, Spiced Couscous with Rhubarb and Figs, or Chop-Chop Sweet and Sour Stir-fry. More familiar applications are offered with a slight—and tasty—twist: Salted Caramel Rhubapple Pie, for example, or Zucchini-Rhubarb Bread. With these delectable combinations and more, Rhubarb Renaissance reinforces memories of grandma’s kitchen but also inspires delight in the stalk’s place at the contemporary table.

Rhubarb Renaissance is the first book in the Northern Plate series, celebrating the bounty of the Upper Midwest by focusing on a single ingredient, exploring its historical uses as well as culinary applications across a range of dishes. Subsequent titles include: Modern Maple, Smitten with Squash, Homemade with Honey, and Astonishing Apples.

Author information

Kim Ode is a feature writer for the Star Tribune’s Source section and the author of Baking with the St. Paul Bread Club. Follow her on twitter @Odewrites

Reviews and news

“What a smart and useful book. Rhubarb needed a champion to peer into its tart and sturdy soul and see it as more than a supporting player to strawberries, and Kim Ode came to the rescue. The recipes are practical and do-able, but deliver sophisticated results. I might just be inspired to put in another row of rhubarb in the garden. Now that’s a good cookbook.”
Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl, author of Drink This: Wine Made Simple

“Sweet or savory? That will be my question in the spring as I ponder the stalks of rhubarb before me and the many intriguing choices Kim Ode offers. Finally, a book that celebrates rhubarb in all its flavors.”
Lee Svitak Dean, Star Tribune Taste editor and author of Come One, Come All: Easy Entertaining with Seasonal Menus

Rhubarb poem by Kim Ode

MPR

Star Tribune

Spiced Couscous with Rhubarb and Fig featured on Oprah.com

WPR's Larry Meiller Show

The Heavy Table

City Pages

Edina Magazine

• 128 pages
• 55 recipes, index
• ISBN: 9780873518512