Spongy and rich, and oh so delicious: rhubarb pudding
My healthy rhubarb plant in the garden which hubby regularly threatens to destroy!
I grew up with rhubarb! My dad always had a sturdy, healthy rhubarb plant in the garden and my mum regularly served stewed rhubarb or rhubarb pie for dessert.
So what is rhubarb? Rhubarb is a very tart member of the buckwheat family – a vegetable known for its long pink to red stalks but often eaten as a fruit sweetened with sugar.
Its thick, celery like stalks of can reach up to 2 feet long, which are the only edible portion of the plant — the leaves contain oxalic acid and can therefore be toxic. Be very careful if you have access to a rhubarb plant and you want to make a pie. DO NOT EAT THE LEAVES. They are poisonous. Only the stalks are edible.
The word rhubarb has also been used in films when extras have to cause the effect of a general hubbub; they all had to shout the word “rhubarb”.
In the past the term rhubarb was used to denote a general fracas and fight between players in a baseball game.
One thing I can tell what rhubarb is not; it is NOT my husband’s favourite food. When he sees it simmering on the stove, I hear mutterings of : “That stuff should be on the list for scheduled and dangerous drugs!”
I have a healthy rhubarb plant in my garden so I often make rhubarb pie. I think it’s YUMMY. Recently I found a recipe on the Internet, (you can visit this site here) which I have (once again – ha!) adapted. I omitted the baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) I also left off the vanilla sauce.
Rhubarb Pudding Cake Recipe
Cake/Batter
1 Cup sugar
1 Egg
2 tbs butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk
½ tsp salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups cake flour
Topping
2 tbs butter, melted
½ Cup sugar
Method
Blend together sugar, eggs and butter. Add buttermilk and beat until smooth. Sift together sald, baking powder and flour. Stir dry ingredients into buttermilk mixture and mix well. Stir in rhubarb. Pour into greased 9-in square baking pan (I used a glass baking dish) Combine topping ingredients and pour over batter. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 45 minutes. Serve hot with vanilla icecream or fresh cream. Serves 12
Sounds delicious, Jo - I love rhubarb. Will you make this for me when I come to visit you one day - some day - who knows when ?!
ReplyDelete(LOL re. your husband's comment - sounds like something mine would say, too !)
xx
Oh absolutely Lynda, I look forward to that day! Fortunately, even during the coldest winter, my rhubarb plant thrives - so I can always make a pudding. (Yes, I thought you'd relate to the comment!) Hugs Jo xxx
ReplyDeleteRhubarb is one of my favorite foods, we use it quite often in tarts and pies. It is also very tasty when stewed with a little water and sugar left to go cold and served with natural yoghurt.
ReplyDeleteI really like your blog, some beautiful images of Africa and you are seeing them the best way possible, on a bike. The GS is a fantastic touring bike I had one in Spain myself and I loved it. I will be posting my images over the coming weeks on my new blog, pop by when you get a minute.