Roasted Vanilla Rhubarb
a favorite spring recipe
When it comes to gardening, hardy perennials are my strength. Plants that don’t need too much attention, and can thrive under even the harshest conditions. It took me more than a decade of owning this house to accept the truth that I don’t enjoy, or have the time it takes, to tend a vegetable garden.
Perhaps if I had more mouths to feed, or had proper animal proofing, I’d feel differently. I love the initial planting part of it all but after that, you become a servant to the garden. Going away, even for just the weekend, means needing someone to water if you don’t have an irrigation system. Our weather here the last few summers has either been too wet, or too dry, almost drought-like.
There’s also the wildlife factor, coming at me from all directions above and underground—rabbits, deer, bears, moles, groundhogs, to name just a few. I’ve even had to dispose of a few birds that met a disastrous ending in the protective netting I put over my blueberry bushes.
Gardening is a humbling activity, and gives you an appreciation for just how much effort is involved in producing the food we eat. I strongly believe this should be a required curriculum in school. It would serve our children, and the future of our world better, than some of the subjects currently taught. In the end it’s more cost effective, both financially and from a time perspective, for me to support local farm stands.
Except in the case of those hardy perennials, like the little rhubarb patch I planted about five years ago. Every spring, just as the temperatures begin to warm and the days grow longer, it pops up, reminding me of its resiliency, and my own.
Rhubarb is often paired with strawberries, which is a shame because it’s a lovely vegetable on its own. Yes, botanically speaking, rhubarb is a vegetable though we use it more like a fruit in cooking. Too often the sour flavor of rhubarb is masked with copious amounts of sugar. A perfect rhubarb recipe should highlight the sourness while also taming it.
This is why roasting is my favorite way to cook rhubarb. It allows you to use just enough sugar to balance the acidity but still preserve its inherent flavor. This roasted vanilla rhubarb is a thick, jammy compote of sorts, and comes together easily and quickly using an air fryer. You’ll find conventional oven directions in the notes after the recipe.
I love to spoon this over plain Greek yogurt. You can do the same with ice cream, or try stirring some into a glass of bubbly seltzer for a homemade rhubarb soda. It would even be great to use in cocktails, and work nicely muddled into an old fashioned. —xo, j.
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