There is something quintessentially spring about rhubarb especially when served with strawberries. It looks a lot like celery but has a distinct pink hue about it. To be honest, rhubarb intimidated me for a long time. In my old cook book, Anna Getty’s Easy Green Organic, once I was over the intimidation, I included a Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble, baked in individual little ramekins. I am in redevelopment with it, as I want to bring it to the blog grain and sugar free. I recently picked fresh rhubarb on a farm. I asked Sabrina, the farmer, what rhubarb looked like growing out of the ground. To my surprise it almost looked like some type of a palm or large forest fern, big elephant ear shaped leaves at the top of the rhubarb stalks. I was shocked and felt a little foolish for not having known. In any case, I had a hunkering for rhubarb compote to serve over plain coconut yogurt. I made it, sugar free, stewing in the pot with a whole vanilla bean. It really hit the spot. I loved the idea of using a few exotic ingredients like rose water and cardamom, so that’s what I did this time. It turned out wonderful, even eating it plain out of the bowl. Tart, sweet and unexpected. It tastes great over vanilla dairy free ice cream, Paleo waffles or pancakes and folded into a grain-free crepe. Rosewater is a specialty item and can be found online but if you don’t have it on hand and don’t feel like getting it, two teaspoons of fresh orange juice can be substituted, there is still some citrus around. You can play around the compote it and add a handful of hulled and sliced strawberries. I always like to encourage your own voice and creativity in any recipe. And by the way, rhubarb is high in vitamin K1.

Stay away from the leaves though, high in oxalates, they can cause inflammation the body.

Keeps in fridge 4-5 days.

Makes about 2-2.5 cups / 200-250 grams / Prep time 10 minutes / Cooking time 20-25 minutes / Total time 30-35 minutes

Gather

1 lb./about 500 grams rhubarb stalks, (cut into 1 inch pieces and then each piece cut into 4 pieces lengthwise, almost like a match stick)

1 cinnamon stick

1 whole vanilla bean, split lengthwise with a pairing knife

4 crushed whole cardamon pods

1/2 cup/ 100 grams (3/4 cup/125 grams Monk Fruit sweetener), depending how sweet you want it. I went for 1/2 a cup

1/2 cup / 120 ml water

1 teaspoon rosewater (or substitute 2 teaspoons orange juice)

Make

Place all ingredients except the rose water in a medium pot and cook on a medium-low flame. Cook for 20-25 minutes until the rhubarb breaks down and is soft and kind of falls apart. Stirring frequently.

Remove from the heat and add the rosewater. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Serve.

Recipe developed by Anna Getty of Amalgam Kitchen.

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