Ring in Spring with Rhubarb!

What is tart, pungent, flavourful, refreshing and a sure sign of spring?  Well it is rhubarb of course. 

Rhubarb is the first fruit to grow in Canada in the spring and a welcome change from the apples and pears that make up our local diets in the winter months.  Rhubarb is an interesting way to inject some fresh food onto your menus and demonstrate seasonal awareness and menu innovation to your patients, through additions such as rhubarb; the season for rhubarb is relatively short so make sure you capitalize on it as soon as it becomes available to you through your distributor.  That said, I think you will be hard pressed to find prepared products through your distributor that incorporate rhubarb, so for those of you with some, even minimal cooking facilities, this is a chance to offer your patients fresh seasonal fruit that will liven up their palates and provide them with a little bit of spring sunshine in their meals.

Rhubarb can be offered to your patients in the form of a rhubarb upside down cake, rhubarb crisp or stewed rhubarb, the latter of which will allow this tart fruit to go across as many of your diets as possible.  For facilities with cooking equipment simply wash and chop the rhubarb into chunks and heat with a small amount of water; add brown sugar, honey or maple syrup to sweeten the mix.   If you don’t have any cooking facilities, you can heat the rhubarb, water and honey mixture in a covered microwave safe dish until you have a soft texture.  This mixture can be served in a covered soup bowl and offered as a hot dessert on your dinner trays for the Novaflex or created and served in larger pans suitable for the Multigen.  The stewed rhubarb can be added to oatmeal for a seasonal spin on a common menu item or topped with vanilla yogurt and served on the cold side of the tray for a lunch dessert.  The rhubarb mixture can easily be made a day ahead and stored cold to ease the workload on the day of service and to ensure it is a safe temperature if you are in a cold plate/ retherm environment.

Additionally, you can source frozen rhubarb or simply wash and freeze the fresh rhubarb that you purchase through your distributor; then add it to fresh local strawberries when they become seasonally available.  You can easily add a few fresh strawberries or frozen berries to any of the above recipes to add extra flavor and flare, reduce the amount of sugar required, and to offer your patients a fresh seasonal berry dish without the higher cost of a dessert made entirely from strawberries.  With the rejuvenation that comes with spring, it is a great time to familiarize yourself with local seasonal items that are offered through your distributor.  Patients will surely notice and appreciate the thoughtful, spring addition to their meal trays!