I think that rhubarb is really one of those vegetables that is best served as a fruit– like a tomato in reverse. That is not to say that I have never been swayed to try out rhubarb as a savory component to my meals. If I remember correctly, several years ago, I tried out a pork tenderloin dish with roasted rhubarb and sage. It was bad. Needless to say, as I was ingesting the relaxed, roasted rhubarb, all I was thinking was that I wished I had stewed the rhubarb in sugar, and forgotten about the pork entirely. But you have to give things a shot to determine their worth.

Rhubarb is an odd vegetable/fruit. It can range in color from a gentle celadon to a shocking pink, all in the same stalk, making it look like celery’s racier cousin. I am always tempted to eat it raw, it looks so springy and sweet. But looks can be deceiving. When raw, the taste is puckery, and tart to the extreme, but when stewed or baked with sugar this vegetable finds its natural affinity, like a babe to milk.

But what is most exciting to me, is that rhubarb signals the on-coming spring. It really is the first bit of produce that says, “Just you wait, there is more to come!” So when I saw these gorgeous stalks at the market, seemingly tossed like an afterthought in a pile next to the strawberries (the most common of pairings), I scooped up a pound or so. The rhubarb was beautiful, but the strawberries– not so much. I thought, with only the smallest hint of sorrow, a solitary rhubarb dessert would have to be on the menu that night.

I should not have been so hasty in my disappointment, a rhubarb cobbler is wonderful! I kept it simple, slicing the stalks, into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces, and tossed them in sugar. A squeeze of lemon juice, a modicum of vanilla, some cornstarch for thickening, and then I got to work on the topping. This recipe is for a cobbler, not a crumble, so I made a biscuit-like dough, with a bit of cornmeal for added texture and chew. This is my go-to cobbler recipe, and so I was pleased to find it work out so well with rhubarb too. Because of the tannic aspect of raw rhubarb, the cobbler was just sweet enough, and with a drizzle of vanilla yogurt, this makes the perfect close to a springtime meal.

Rhubarb Cobbler
made in 9-inch pie plate

For the filling:

4 cups slice rhubarb (1/4-1/2 inch thick)
squeeze of half a lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar

For the topping:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup medium to fine ground corn meal
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut in 1/2 inch cubes
2/3 cup buttermilk

For the filling: slice the fruit, and put into a medium-size bowl. Add the lemon juice and the vanilla, and toss. Add the sugar and the cornstarch, and toss well to evenly coat. Set mixture aside while preparing topping.

For the topping: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. With your hands, mix in the butter. Rub between your fingers until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add buttermilk all at once, stirring together until dough is just formed.

Put filling into a pie plate. Spoon topping evenly over surface. It is fine if the topping does not cover entirely, it will spread during baking. Bake until fruit is bubbling, and topping is golden brown, approximately 40-45 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. This cobbler recipe is great with other summer fruit as well. It requires little substitution, except for the amount of sugar in the filling can be decreased when using sweeter fruits like peaches or nectarines.