But that was all in October. Our Farm is announcing the introduction of it’s latest venture:  rhubarb production and processing.  Last year 250 rhubarb plants were planted with the idea of making a ready to eat sauce to be sold year round.

Why rhubarb you might ask. Jimmy Golub says, “I think rhubarb is one of the most underappreciated foods:  The Rodney Dangerfield of vegetables. It has a flavor all it’s own but it is versatile enough to be incorporated into so many different kinds of foods  Golub invites users to come up with their own recipes that he can posted on the www.rhubarbsauce.com website.

Rhubarb originates from China where it was widely used for medicinal purposes. Northern Europe provided a perfect climate for rhubarb, where it thrived. It needs winter dormancy so it’s unknown to southern areas. It has few pests and the leaves are poison to wildlife. The level of oxalic acids are too high in the leaves for consumption but the stalks have low enough levels to be eaten. Imagine a crop that can’t be eaten by deer!  It was brought to the New World by European settlers somewhere between 1790-1800.

The Golubs are using the facilities of Nelson Farms to turn this unusual crop into a processed rhubarb product. There will be 2 flavors: rhubarb and strawberry rhubarb. It can be eaten plain, as a flavoring for yogurt or ice cream, or as a condiment for chicken or fish.  The Golubs would like rhubarb lovers to share recipes using their rhubarb sauce, to be posted on the rhubarbsauce.com website. They are encouraged to come up new ideas and uses.  Jars of this product will on sale at Our Farm (call 655-8453) or at Nelson Farms.  It will also be available at other local outlets.

From Eating Well Magazine

From EatingWell:  May/June 2009, May/June 1994

These light and crispy rhubarb waffles are made with whole-wheat flour and egg whites and topped with Our Farm’s Rhubarb Sauce. If there’s any sauce left over, drizzle it on a scoop of frozen yogurt

• 6 servings
• Active Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes

WAFFLE INGREDIENTS

• 3 large egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups nonfat milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

To prepare waffles: Whisk egg whites in a large bowl until frothy. Whisk in milk and oil. Stir in the reserved 1 cup cooked rhubarb. Sift all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the egg-milk mixture just until moistened.

Preheat a waffle iron. (If your waffle iron is not nonstick, brush it lightly with oil.) Fill the iron about two-thirds full. Close and cook the waffles until they are nicely browned, about 4 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter, coating the waffle iron lightly with oil, if necessary, before cooking each batch. Serve hot, topped with the rhubarb sauce.

Make Ahead Tip: Bring Our Farm’s Rhubarb Sauce to room temperature or heat before serving. Equipment: Waffle iron