Rhubarb Crunch Recipe from the Past

Growing up on a farm wasn't always easy, clean or fun. I know. I know. I learned a great work ethic there that still lingers in my Midwestern soul.

Things were tough financially and everyone pitched in, despite any arguments we might have had. Gardening (well, mostly hoeing and pulling weeds became the children's job) was a mainstay from June through August. That was just part of the duties added on to walking soybean fields to tear out cornstalks, shoveling hog manure from the farrowing house and mowing our gargantuan lawn.

I swear our garden was half the length of a football field. My mom and dad planted everything from flowers to mammoth-sized zucchini squash to delicate sweet peas to popcorn, yep, popcorn.

Besides being a great gardener, my mother also knew how to cook up the stuff she harvested. I became her prodigy at cooking, and I still to this day use her recipes from the farm even though she is no longer with us.

I still love fresh vegetables right out of the garden - not my own. I go to a nearby farmer's market to buy all the things I want.

But that one vegetable that just amazed me was rhubarb. It's beautiful red stalks seemed almost regal and seemed to be so versatile. My mother put it practically in everything because it was so plentiful.

Everyone always thought it was a fruit. But I knew better. It's kind of like the confusing tomato. Everyone just assumes it's a vegetable because that's how people use it. It must be hard to be misunderstood for so long.

Most cooks use rhubarb in pies, crunches, cakes, breads and dessert recipes. But like my clever mom, you can throw it in stews, soups, sauces, jams and salads. If you have the inclination and equipment to do it, you can also make a very tasty wine from it.

A small town in my area -- Aledo, Ill. - celebrates this hardy vegetable during its annual Rhubarb Festival. They come up with some phenomenal recipes to serve the crowds like rhubarb cheesecake, rhubarb sorbet and rhubarb meatloaf (just kidding on that last one).

But for those who are a little hesitant to try this mysterious vegetable, I'd start with a classic rhubarb crunch. My mother's recipe is still by far the best I've ever tasted or used. I still have it written on a notecard with a few stains from the many times I've used the recipe.

First of all, you can buy rhubarb fairly inexpensively in a supermarket or a farmer's market. If you want it really cheap, ask your neighbors or relatives who just happen to have mounds of the stuff in their gardens if you can go cut some down.

Only select the crisp, young stalks. Tear off any green leaves left, wash them well, and line a bunch of them side by side on a cutting board. Cut in inch-size pieces. If you aren't cooking the crunch right away, then you can freeze the pieces in freezer bags or freezer containers. Just thaw before putting them in a recipe.

My mom's recipe, which just happens to be my grandmother's recipe, is as follows:

Place 4 cups of cut up rhubarb in greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the meantime, cook 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water over medium to medium high heat until thick. Take off heat and add one teaspoon of good vanilla. Pour the thick liquid over the fruit.

For the crunch, you need to make a topping out of 1 stick of softened margarine or butter, 1 cup flower, ¾ cup brown sugar, ¾ cup of instant oatmeal and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Crumble together with a fork. Spread over fruit mixture and bake for one hour.

The top should be golden brown and the fruit bubbling. Wait a few minutes before serving with a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream, or whipped cream.

It's one of the best tart/sweet desserts I've ever eaten. Hope you enjoy.