Baked Citrus Rhubarb Sauce

My Grandmother had a beautiful, but tiny garden. It was all well planned and meticulously divided into square beds surrounded by white marble stones. Not a weed was to be found. Every variety of flower and fruit that would grow in Bayside, Queens, NY, grew and flourished in my grandmother's garden. Colorful pink and yellow candy tuft, geraniums, begonias, salvia’s and dusty miller strutted their heads next to a small rock garden filled with chicks and hens and other small plants, like strawberries. Gardening and cooking were her favorite hobbies; I inherited my love of cooking from her. Among the plants she grew, my favorites were pie plant (rhubarb) and tart red currants. So here is to the rhubarb plant, with its wonderful tangy tint and sweet allure!

Baked Citrus Rhubarb Sauce

Ingredients:

1 pound rhubarb stalks (about 4 cups)

3/4 cups sugar

1 blood orange skin removed, sections cut into 1 inch pieces

Juice of 1 lime

Juice of half a lemon

¼ cup red wine (optional) adds a deeper flavor and additional color

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Preheat the oven to 350˚

Wash, but do not peel the rhubarb stalks, cut them into 1 inch pieces, and place them in an oven safe baking dish. Pour the sugar on top and mix with the rhubarb; then, cover with foil bake for 30 minutes.

Let cool; then stir in the remaining ingredients.

That's all -- isn't that simple!?

This makes a delicious sauce that can be served as a dessert on its own.

The citrus and sweetness of the rhubarb combine wonderfully as a garnish for fish, or for anything that wants a sweet and tangy sauce.

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To turn this recipe into a mojito flavored summer dessert, add these ingredients after baking:

2 tablespoons dark rum

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Fresh mint leaves for garnish

Cheers!

 Or add meringue topping for extra elegance:

Preheat oven to 325˚

2 egg whites

4 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

Beat egg whites until stiff, add sugar gradually, and keep beating till egg whites hold their shape. Add vanilla, fill custard cups with baked rhubarb and top with spoonfuls of meringue, bake till lightly browned.