Rhubarb Chutney

Everyone loves rhubarb – don't we usually cloak it in sugar for cake, cheesecake, rhubarb sauce and first and foremost, pie? This recipe shifts rhubarb to the savory side, a chutney that's fabulous with grilled steak, roast pork, even stirred into Greek yogurt for a savory dessert.

~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~

COMPLIMENTS!

• ".... my god is that good stuff" ~ Kevin

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"The Rhubarb Is Ready, the Rhubarb Is Ready!"

In my childhood, when the rhubarb was ripe, summer had truly arrived.

My mom kept a few plants on the north side of the house. The cherry-red stalks were tart-tart-tart so Mom sent us to fetch some with a small dish of sugar – tasting while picking was encouraged!

My dad's been trying to kill my mom's last rhubarb plants with Round-Up for years - thankfully, rhubarb is resilient and two plants survived. I've transplanted one plant into my own garden in Missouri and with the promise that rhubarb pie is the likely outcome, Dad is faithfully tending the other in Minnesota.

Mom's rhubarb is a variety called 'Canadian Red' and yields the brilliant red color you see in the photo. I think of it as "rhubarb red" – and it's become my favorite color!

Not all rhubarb, however, is so red. My recipe for Roasted Rhubarb uses rhubarb that's a lovely soft chartreuse.

As much as I love rhubarb pie, Rhubarb Cake, rhubarb muffins, rhubarb sauce (you get the picture), I’ve become partial to Rhubarb Chutney. Served with grilled pork or chicken, it shouts of summer. Since rhubarb freezes so well, the chutney can be made year-round.

Summer in January, anyone?

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RHUBARB CHUTNEY

Hands-on time: 15 minutes plus occasional stirring
Total time: 25 - 45 minutes plus chilling
Makes 2 2/3 cups

• 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon red cayenne pepper

• 1/2 cup (generous) chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 4 cups chopped rhubarb (fresh or frozen, about 1-1/2 pounds)

In a large saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the onions, raisins and rhubarb. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.

Add the remaining ingredients and increase the heat. Cook until the rhubarb becomes tender and the mixture thickens slightly, about 10 minutes for fresh rhubarb, about 30 minutes for frozen.

Cool completely, then cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

ALANNA's TIPS Fresh ginger can be hard to come by in small-town groceries. Don’t be tempted to use ground ginger, however, as it’s a poor substitute. Instead, pick up several gnarled knobs the next time you run across them. Wrap the knobs in plastic wrap, then seal in a freezer bag and freeze. Later cut off about an inch to yield a tablespoon of grated ginger. The easiest way to peel fresh ginger? With the edge of a spoon, preferably plastic!

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Tablespoon/Quarter Cup: 21/84 Calories; 0g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 0/3mg Sodium; 5/21g Carb; 0/1g Fiber; 5/18g Sugars; 0/1g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS Old Points 0/1 & PointsPlus 1/2 & SmartPoints 1/5 & Freestyle 1/4

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A Menu Starring Rhubarb Chutney

Tender Pork Tenderloin
Rhubarb Chutney (above)
Shredded Zucchini with Thyme
Salad Greens with Buttermilk Balsamic Dressing

Strawberry Fool

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Does Rhubarb Rock Your World?

(hover with a mouse for a description; otherwise click a photo to view the recipe)

~ more rhubarb recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade

~ Perfect Rhubarb Pie: Annie Dimock’s Straight-Up Rhubarb Pie ~
~ Custard with Rhubarb Sauce ~
~ Strawberry Rhubarb Smoothies ~
~ more rhubarb recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog

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Shop Your Pantry First

(helping home cooks save money on groceries)

~ rhubarb ~
~ raisins ~

~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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