I want another lovely slice.

I’m not disparaging the

blueberry pie

But rhubarb tart is oh so very nice.

A rhubarb what?

A rhubarb tart!

A whatbarb tart?

A rhubarb tart!

I want another slice of rhubarb tart!”

– John Cleese

As Garrison Keillor reminds us on “A Prairie Home Companion,” “Rhubarb pie comes along in the spring when we’re half-crazed from five months of winter.” There’s even a whole day dedicated to it: June 9 is National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day.

Here in the North Country, strawberries won’t ripen for a few more weeks – but rhubarb is one of our earliest spring crops. The large, fan-shaped leaves come up as soon as the ground thaws, and the thick, succulent, bright red stalks yield the first yummy desserts of spring. Fortunately, it is easy to freeze rhubarb, and have it ready from the freezer when the strawberry crop ripens.

Ever since sugar became accessible and cheap in the 1800s, rhubarb has been the star of springtime desserts. The “pie plant” thrives in cool climates from Alaska to Siberia and northern Europe. A hardy perennial in the buckwheat family, it doesn’t need a lot of sun and grows well in our moderately acid soil.

Native to the foothills of the Himalayas, rhubarb was cultivated in the mountains of northwest China and Tibet for medicinal uses as far back as 2700 BC. Its earliest use was as a purgative, to empty the bowels. A medicinal variety of rhubarb has been used internally for stomach ailments, constipation, diarrhea, and indigestion, and externally to treat burns, boils, sores and other skin conditions. During the 1800s, it was used to prevent scurvy in Russia and Alaska.

Rhubarb’s crisp stalks are 95 percent water with very few calories, though this is offset by the sugar necessary to counteract the natural tartness. It is a good diuretic and laxative, and contains fiber, potassium, vitamin C and minor amounts of other vitamins. The calcium in rhubarb is bound by oxalic acid and thus not well absorbed.

When shopping, look for stalks that are fresh, crisp, smooth and bright. Avoid large stalks; they can be dry and woody. Use it quickly, or freeze it, as it is quite perishable and will wilt quickly even when refrigerated.

Discard the leaves before cooking, because they contain high concentrations of oxalic acid and are toxic, although one would have to eat several pounds to have a lethal dose.

When cooking rhubarb, always use a non-reactive pan. Due to its high acidity, rhubarb cooked in aluminum, iron, and copper will turn a brown color.

The stems are great in pies, crisps, cobblers, breads, muffins, puddings, jams, jellies, sauces, relishes, chutneys, compotes, syrups, and refreshing beverages, though they must be cooked and sweetened. Americans combine it with strawberries; the British, with ginger. If you have a sweeter tooth than I, you may wish to increase the sugar in these recipes.

Rhubarb Maple Muffins

Ingredients:

2 stalks (about 6 inches) rhubarb, or 2 cups, sliced

3/4 cup maple syrup

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup all-purpose or unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (or ground cinnamon)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or raisins

Cinnamon topping (optional)

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash rhubarb. Slice thin and place in bowl; pour maple syrup over. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Beat in sour cream and fold in oats. Set aside.

In a third bowl, combine flours, baking soda, salt, spices and raisins.

Add rhubarb mixture to oats mixture alternately with flour mixture.

Butter or oil muffin tins, fill two-thirds full. Bake about 20 minutes, or until golden.

To make topping, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in small bowl. Drizzle in melted butter and stir until combined. Sprinkle over muffins just before baking.

Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Baked Rhubarb Deluxe

This is an easy dessert that takes just a few minutes

to assemble.

Ingredients:

6 slices bread (3 cups)

3 cups sliced rhubarb (3 to 4 stalks)

2/3cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 cup raisins

1 cup walnut halves

Optional Topping:

2 eggs

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

2/3cup plain yogurt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut up the bread to make about 3 cups of bread cubes. Stale wheat bread works well for this. In a bowl, toss bread cubes and sliced rhubarb with sugar until coated. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, pour over, and stir to combine. Stir in raisins and nuts. Turn into a prepared 9-inch-by 9-inch baking dish.

To make the topping, beat eggs with sugar; beat in sour cream and yogurt. Spread over the top of rhubarb in baking dish.

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. You may wish to add a little more sugar, according to your taste, or try this with a sugar substitute.

Author of the award-winning cookbook “Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market,” Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: cooking and writing. She can be reached at www.wordsaremyworld.com.