rhubarb, three in one

Being the first rhubarb of the season so exquisitely young and tender I simply

• wash the stems
• cut them into pieces
• put them into a baking dish
• sprinkle with enough sugar to generate some syrup
• add slices of lemon, orange or kumquats
• and bake for about half an hour

to obtain a whole variety of rhubarby possibilities.

The exact "how to" you find here (by David Tanis) and here (by Rose Carrarini).

1) I enjoy the rhubarb right from the oven: hot or cooled down with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

2) I use the solid parts to let them sink into a batter for a delicious fruit cake

3) I purée the syrup and slices of lemon together with beetroot, apple and ginger for a sweet and bright magenta smoothie.

David Tanis' Rhubarb Kumquat Compote

I'd like to recommend you the cookbook A platter of figs by David Tanis. He celebrates radical simplicity, the idea of eating with the seasons, the mastery of perfect cooking and unexpected composition.
Good food has not to be fussy, simplicity is the key!

I love each one of his 24 menus in A platter of figs (6 menus for each season of the year). The Rhubarb Kumquat Compote is part of spring menu n° 6 "Duck for Dinner". Did I intrigue you?  Well, menu n° 6 comprises Crabmeat and Parsley Salad as a starter, followed by Five Spice Duck with Buttered Turnips and Fried Ginger - and as a sweet ending:

Rhubarb Kumquat Compote

2 pounds rhubarb
12 kumquats, sliced

1 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Trim and destring the rhubarb, then slice into small pieces.
Put the rhubarb and the kumquats in a bowl and mix well with the sugar. Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the rhubarb is soft. Cool to room temperature.

Serve the rhubarb with plenty of sauce and a dab of Crème Fraîche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, with whipped cream or plain whole-milk yoghurt.