Merlot-Braised Rhubarb

Rhubarb has always had a bit of a special place in my memories.  As a kid, we had a huge garden with all of the typical garden plants: carrots, peas, beans, corn, pumpkins (growing among the corn), lettuce, beets, broccoli, and plenty other things I don’t remember.  Along the outside edge of the garden was a row of assorted apple trees, and even a cherry tree (although the birds usually got more of the cherries than we did).  At the other side of the garden was a raspberry patch with a mix of both red and yellow raspberries.  There was a patch of mint, and strawberries.  And there was a rhubarb patch.

A simple snack my mom would give us in the summer was a stalk of rhubarb and a small cup of honey.  Dip the end in honey, then take a bite.  Repeat.  If we were out playing in the garden, we’d often skip the honey and simply chop off a stalk and share it – enjoying the tart bite and celery-like crunch.  We’d take the giant leaves (don’t eat them – they’re poisonous!) from the ends of the biggest stalks and wear them upside down on our heads – pretending we were visitors from far-off Asian lands.

Here is a bit of a twist to rhubarb and honey.  Fresh, local organic rhubarb. A great way to enjoy it!

Gather Up:

• 1-1/2 to 2 lbs fresh rhubarb stalks, cut into 3-inch long pieces.  If you have thicker stalks (like those pictured), cut each piece in half lengthwise as well.
• 1/2 cup merlot
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 2 tbsp fresh mint, minced

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Slice up the rhurbarb and arrange in a 13×9 baking dish.  Whisk the honey into the merlot until fully dissolved and pour all over the rhubarb.  Sprinkle the mint over the top.
Cook the rhubarb in the oven until tender but not mushy – about 12 minutes.  Remove and use a slotted spoon to transfer the rhubarb to a shallow serving bowl.
Collect all of the juice from the pan into a small sauce pan.  Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 to 6 minutes until reduced by half.  Transfer to a heat-safe prep bowl.

To serve as a side dish, arrange on a plate and drizzle a spoonful of the syrup over top.  If you like, you can add a little more finely chopped mint for garnish.  Or, if you would like to try it for dessert – serve over some coconut milk that has been frozen in the ice cream maker and then drizzle a spoonful of warm syrup over top.  Dig in!