If you’ve never indulged in rhubarb, this year you should: High in vitamins C and K (which plays an important role in bone health), and a good source of dietary fiber, it provides a pretty nutritious bang for your buck. Rhubarb also is one of nature’s top plant sources of bone-building calcium and is extremely low in calories (less than 30 calories per cup raw) — though you’ll probably end up using at least some sugar (and in some cases a lot of sweetener) when cooking with it.
Rhubarb has long been known as “pie plant” for a reason. Too sour to eat out of hand, it’s typically paired with fruits such as strawberries or raspberries and lots of sugar to make sweet treats such as cakes, pies, breads, ice cream and jam.
But rhubarb lends itself pretty deliciously to savory dishes, too, as the chicken and shrimp recipes below confirm. If you’re the kind of person who loves veggies preserved in brine, you’ll be delighted to learn rhubarb tastes great pickled.
And don’t forget about cocktails. Tart and sweet, rhubarb makes for a good shrub or simple syrup.