One of the first edibles we have growing in our Vermont garden is rhubarb. Rhubarb is a perennial that will come back every year.  It is very easy to grow in the colder climates.  It does tend to want some sort of winter to go dormant and return again the next year. It is just as happy in full sun as it is in part shade.  Rhubarb is actually a vegetable although it is most traditionally used as a fruit.  Rhubarb  is a thick plant that resembles celery with red or green stalks that can grow to be than two feet long or more.   The stalk itself is the edible portion of the plant.  The leaves should never be eaten as they are toxic.

If you bit right into a stalk of rhubarb, you would most likely not enjoy it.  Rhubarb is very tart and is typically enjoyed with strawberries or another fruit for this reason.  Rhubarb can be used in many different ways.  I have made strawberry rhubarb jam, apple rhubarb pie and even rhubarb bread.  Since we have two huge rhubarb plants in our back yard, I am always looking for ways to enjoy rhubarb.  Here are a few rhubarb recipes that I hope you enjoy:

Ways to Enjoy Rhubarb This Summer

• Whole Wheat Rhubarb Muffins
• Strawberry Rhubarb Dump Cake
• Honey Rhubarb Iced Tea
• Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
• Blackberry Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait
• Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade
• Rhubarb Cobbler Parfaits
• Rhubarb Blueberry Sauce
• Cherry Rhubarb & Peach Rhubarb Mini Pies
• Rhubarb Muffins
• Homemade Rhubarb Vinegar
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Have you ever tried rhubarb before?  I have friends who tell me that it can be purchased in the grocery store in some of the larger chains. Around here, just about everyone grows it in the back yard so I have never seen it for sale in the grocery store.  What is your favorite way to enjoy rhubarb?