Rhubarb. It’s a strange one. It’s a vegetable, but it’s nearly always used as a fruit. It doesn’t really taste good unless you add lots of sugar. And here’s the real kicker: it’s leaves are poisonous! It certainly makes you wonder why anyone ever bothered with it in the first place. But, luckily for us, they did. For those that may be unfamiliar with it, rhubarb is a vegetable with giant green leaves and long, shiny red stalks (Robert calls it “disco celery.”) It is usually used in desserts, most commonly pies. It is often combined with other fruits, being especially good with strawberries. Although, it is less popular than it once was, rhubarb is slowly starting to make a comeback. Restaurant chefs are beginning to find creative uses for it, using it in soups or making it into chutneys to serve with game and poultry. Some are even touting it as another “superfood” along with blueberries and pomegranates.

For me, rhubarb will always bring back memories of childhood. My mom had a rhubarb plant growing in our backyard and she used to make really great rhubarb pies. She also frequently made rhubarb muffins. I hadn’t thought about my mom’s rhubarb muffins in ages until one day, about a month ago, when I was listening to a podcast about spring vegetables and they mentioned rhubarb. I immediately started craving rhubarb muffins. I asked my mom for the recipe and made them this morning for breakfast. The muffins were delicious, just as I remembered. The tartness of the rhubarb is balanced by a sweet, crumbly cinnamon-sugar topping. And, the little flecks of pink scattered throughout the muffins are so pretty. I served them with a red chard and goat cheese omelet and roasted root vegetables as a little welcome to spring.

Rhubarb Muffins

1-1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 cups finely diced rhubarb
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2-1/2 cups flour, unsifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine the first 5 ingredients together in a bowl and beat well. Stir in the rhubarb and walnuts. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just blended. Pour into greased muffin cups (about 2/3 full.)

In a small bowl, mix together the butter, sugar and cinnamon. Scatter the sugar mixture over the muffins and press lightly. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly golden and springy.

Makes about 20 muffins