Sunday, August 20, 2006


I have only ever eaten rhubarb once before today, it was in a strawberry-rhubarb pie, and I hated it. At the farmer’s market yesterday I decided to buy a bunch of rhubarb on a whim. For some reason, even though the outside wasn’t that red, I expected the inside to be….because I’m silly and I expect things like that. Needless to say it wasn’t red like I had expected it to be, so I dyed it to meet my rhubarb expectations.
The muffins are actually pretty good.
Al refused to try them at first because he asked me what rhubarb was, and not being able to think of an answer right away I just said, “I don’t know, but it looks like celery.”
“Well,” he answered, “I don’t want to eat muffins made with celery.”
I was forced to use the “would I ever give you something bad” line, which inevitably always backfires on me, because according to Al I eat many awful and horrible things that people have no business eating, which is sometimes true, but we can’t take Al’s judgment at face value since he also puts zucchini and olives in the “gross and inedible” category and I believe those items to be of the gods.

Rhubarb Muffins
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 cup sugar
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, sliced

Preheat oven to 350. grease muffin tins.
whisk together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. Whisk egg until combined. Add sugar and whisk vigorously until thick. Add melted butter in three batches, whisking after each addition. Add sour cream in two additions, whisking just until combined. Now, this is the part where if you are me, you put the rhubarb on the stove and cook it for just a couple of minutes with some sugar and red food coloring. I didn't measure either, cause I'm a rebel.
Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet until smooth. Fold in technicolor rhubarb. Spoon into muffin tins. Bake 20-30 mins.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

When I was young growing up in the country, we used to pick Rhubarb for my Mom..it would grow wild in the woods..Mom would make Rhubarb pie..I didn't care for it much either (maybe Al gets it from me)but others seemed to enjoy it..I haven't tried it in years so maybe I would like t now..Anyway, those muffins look good..I would try them..see u soon..Mom P.

Anonymous said...

While rhubarb (doesn't it look odd w/o the upper-case 'r'?) is quite nice on its own, the addition of strawberries to any rhubarb dish enriches the flavor to a degree that makes it almost essential.

I dare you to track down and make a recipe for a chilled rhubarb, strawberry, and mint soup and not become addicted.

Airy said...

ooooh, add mint to anything and I am in it for the long haul. I will definately have to try that.
Thanks for the tip Greg.