Rhubarb

Many varieties - green, red, pink, speckled. Look for stalks that are medium-sized, firm, and crisp. May have bottoms of leaves visible or producer may have chopped leaves entirely.

Keeps about week wrapped in refrigerator.

Like celery, rhubarb has strings - use paring knife to remove. Strings likely break during cooking but cooked rhubarb smoother without them. Quite sour so pairs well with foods balancing acidity. Surprisingly pairs very well with meat - pork, chicken, beef - as main course part, not just dessert. Can say goodbye to enjoying only at dessert time.

Freeze chopped rhubarb for up to year. Great results making rhubarb compote for yogurt/granola topping, ice cream, biscuits, or eaten with spoon.

Good source of Vitamin K and C. Highly acidic plant with pH of 3.1.

Relative of buckwheat, herbaceous perennial growing indoors and outdoors. Not fruit, it's vegetable. Imported to U.S., arrived in Northeast in early 19th century. Native to Siberia but cultivation/trade stretches back Silk Road days when Medieval European luxury item and prized by Chinese as laxative. Availability of cane sugar transformed bitter vegetable into something sweet in pies/desserts. England major hothouse rhubarb producer - special train set up to express from northern producers to London wholesalers during peak season. English recipes typically pair with ginger; American cooks favor strawberries. Forced rhubarb from 'Rhubarb Triangle' nine square miles in north England - growing in dark sheds heated by coal fire extends season into winter, produces sweeter, tender rhubarb. Forced crop yields one harvest; traditionally grown perennial comes back years.

Grown commercially in Michigan and Pacific Northwest, backyards all over north. Forced rhubarb starts arriving January to early spring; field grown arrives late spring to early summer. Typically harvested early spring at peak flavor.