Rhubarb is treated more like a fruit than a vegetable, most often used for jellies and baked in desserts (mark your calendar – June 9 is National Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Day).
In fact, in 1947, New York declared rhubarb a fruit because that's how most people used it (and, it has been suggested, to save importers from taxes). But this tart veggie, low in sugar and a great source of dietary fiber, Vitamin K, Vitamin C and potassium, can also be a raw treat.
Check the farmers market for fresh, crisp stalks. Peel off stringy bits, and remove all the leaves before eating (and we mean all – they’re poisonous!). Try dipping stalks in agave nectar, or dice and sprinkle over yogurt.
Or, take the salad route:
Ingredients
- 2 stalks rhubarb
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled
- 1tbsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup baby arugula
- 1 cup kale
- juice of ½ lemon
- ½ cup mint leaves, shredded
Recipe
- Cut the rhubarb and cucumber into thin slices.
- Toss rhubarb and cucumber with salt, let stand for 10 minutes. Rinse and drain.
- In a large bowl, toss the rhubarb and cucumber with the arugula and kale. Drizzle with lemon juice. Top with mint leaves.