Rhubarb: Yay or Nay?

Spring is fast giving way to summer in the PNW. Gardens are in and perennials are popping. A favorite in our family is the ubiquitous rhubarb. While these abundant plants are found in many places, people have strong opinions about this unusual vegetable. Yes, it's a vegetable. I checked because I always thought it was a fruit.

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As a child, I remember eating a stalk of rhubarb, fresh from the plant. I would dip it into a small Dixie cup with a bit of sugar in the bottom. Crunch. Dip. Crunch. Dip. Crunch. My brothers, cousins, and I would sit on swings or under a makeshift tent made out of old sheets and crunch away. The burst of sweetness from the sugar mellowed the eye crossing tang of the rhubarb. The stalks were also used as makeshift swords and light sabers in our imaginary battles.

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I know many people that don't like rhubarb. But my kids loved it. It was a request for birthday and graduation celebrations. I'd cut some from the plant in our yard and make rhubarb crisp for dessert over Memorial weekend. I served it warm with Tillamook Vanilla Bean Ice Cream melting over the top. The baking dish was nearly licked clean. (Ok. I confess. It was me. I used a spatula, not my tongue!) The memories evoked when I smell a rhubarb pie baking are very sweet indeed. I fondly remember rolling out the crust with my mom and my grandmother. Any extra scraps were sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and baked for a special treat.

I'm thankful we're all different. It adds spice to life. What a boring world it would be if everyone had the same vanilla tastes and preferences. I loved the interaction and teasing that would go on around our dinner table. It happened because we had differing opinions about the world in which we lived, different favorite dishes and foods we couldn't stand. It inspired heated conversations where the noise level escalated from everyone talking over one another. All because of rhubarb.

What fruit or vegetable in your garden inspires hot debate over the taste? Feel free to share a favorite rhubarb recipe if you are one who enjoys it!