A New Use: Rhubarb Vinaigrette

As I mentioned Thursday, my rhubarb is growing beyond belief! I have a definite go-to recipe for this time of year, my rhubarb bread, but I've been looking for something new and unique. Something beyond strawberry-rhubarb pies, cobblers, cookies, and relishes, to make good use of this very prolific spring produce. After much research I finally stumbled upon a recipe that peaked my interest so much that I had to try it that very night! It was a recipe for a Rhubarb Vinaigrette.

Rhubarb is so hard to describe. It's sour, almost bitter, when eaten raw. But when cooked and just slightly sweetened, this cultivar is quite delicious! This vinaigrette takes this simple stalk and transforms it into a very fresh, complex, and easy salad dressing. I will definitely be making this again...I love it. Its perfectly sweet and tart and pairs beautifully with goat cheese!

There was just something about the simplicity of the recipe that I found to be so tantalizingly intriguing...so here it is:

Rhubarb Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup water
4 stalks rhubarb (about 2 loosely packed cups), cut into thin slices
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Zest of one lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch coarse sea salt
Several twists freshly ground pepper

Instructions:
Heat water and honey over medium heat. When the mixture begins to boil, add rhubarb and boil five minutes more, stirring often. Stir in vinegar and lemon zest, and cook 5 to 10 more minutes, until dressing is reduced by about half. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly. Whisk the olive oil into the dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or cold over fresh salad greens. 

(This recipe came from Mother Earth News)

As written, I found it to be a little too sweet for my taste, so next time I will be cutting back on the honey a bit. This dressing is also pretty thick, so I added a little more white wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar to thin it a bit, while still preserving the delicious flavor! But over all, I will be adding this to my arsenal of rhubarb recipes for sure!

If you give it a try (which I HIGHLY recommend :) let me know what you think! Is there anything you feel it would benefit from? Feed back is always fun!

Enjoy!