Rhubarb
{Ruby-red, sweet-tart and bracing}
Botanically speaking, rhubarb is a vegetable that looks somewhat like celery with a serious sunburn even though much of the supply in the US is grown in hothouses in the Pacific Northwest, away from direct sunlight. Greenhouse-grown rhubarb (available mid-January to mid-April) tends to be less acidic with smoother flesh than that which is field-grown. Its wide and poisonous leaves resemble green elephant ears but are typically trimmed before the stalks make it to market.
Also known as pie plant, rhubarb comes by this nickname rightfully since it is commonly used as a filling in two-crust pies. In its sweet applications, this harbinger of spring pairs felicitously with ginger, cinnamon, strawberries and custard. On the savory side, rhubarb pairs nicely as a sauce or rough chutney with pork, turkey and richly fatty fish such as salmon and Chilean sea bass. When using rhubarb for sweet dishes, try to find stalks that are bright red and hold back on the sugar to allow its delicately tart flavor to shine through. Also cook it al dente so that its slightly fibrous personality stays intact.
