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Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Saturday, April 26, 2008

500 Club: From breakfast to dessert, rhubarb is a tasty ingredient

By Nicole Jones, Gundersen Lutheran

While many of us consider rhubarb a fruit, it is actually a vegetable. Used in pies, cakes and jams, it also is known as the “world’s greatest pie plant.”

This vegetable is a cool season crop that is grown for its fibrous leafy stalks, which offer a wonderful tart, sweet taste. Once rhubarb is planted, it will take about two years to receive your first harvest. By the third year, your plants will be in full bloom, with harvest lasting about one month. The main harvest season is during the spring.

With it being that time of year, you might want to dig out your delicious rhubarb recipes or try one of the recipes below. When cooking with rhubarb, it is important to note that only the stalks are edible. The leaves are toxic and must be removed at harvesting. Nutritionally, one cup of diced rhubarb contains only 26 calories, no fat and is low in sodium. Rhubarb also is a good source of potassium and calcium.

Rhubarb Dessert

Crust:

1 cup butter

2 cups flour

10 tablespoons powdered sugar

Filling:

4 eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

3 cups sugar

1/2 cup flour

4 cups diced rhubarb

Blend ingredients for crust and put into a 9-by-13-inch pan. Spread over bottom of pan. Combine eggs, salt, sugar, flour and rhubarb. Pour evenly over crust. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 35 minutes. Makes 18 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 312 calories, 12 grams fat, 51 grams carbohydrate.

Rhubarb Spiced Pancakes

To your favorite pancake batter (2 cups dry mix and water), add the following:

3/4 cup finely diced rhubarb

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat large skillet to medium heat. Coat with cooking spray. Spoon 1/3 cup batter onto a hot skillet. Flip pancakes with a spatula when bubbles appear. Once both sides of the pancake are golden brown, remove from skillet. Serve with your favorite toppings (applesauce, maple syrup, berries, etc).

Makes 8 pancakes.

Nutrition information per serving: 130 calories, 1.5 grams fat, 0 grams saturated and trans fat, 400 milligrams sodium, 26 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber and 3 grams protein.

Nicole Jones is a registered dietitian at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center. The 500 Club is a healthy-eating program coordinated by Gundersen Lutheran registered dietitians, and its members include restaurants, grocery stores, delis and vending companies.