Rhubarb

To me arrival of the rhubarb means spring is finally here! There are two different types of rhubarb that I know about and that I use differently.

The rhubarb on the left side on the picture is the most common one and as it has some woody strings I usually peel it, cut it in smaller pieces and use in pies and cakes. I also freeze this rhubarb for later use.

The rhubarb on the right side is from my parents garden in Sweden. It has shorter stalks, strings are not woody and its flesh is so delicate that you do not need to do much to it as it is perfect just like it is. The young tender stalks of this rhubarb can also be eaten fresh.

When I cook it I usually dip it in sugar and bake covered in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, just until soft, and serve with mascarpone, ricotta or yogurt. Here in Germany there is strawberry quark that is perfect to serve with this baked rhubarb.