Rhubarb

This is my mother's rhubarb plant.  It grows the best rhubarb.  I grew up in the Midwest, so I lived on rhubarb.  I think there's over a thousand different ways to make with rhubarb.  

One of my favorites is this rhubarb dessert with meringue on top.  There's no official name for this dish, just rhubarb dessert with meringue on top.  When my sister-in-law came out from Minnesota, she brought along a bunch of rhubarb for me!  What a treat!  So, I made the famous dessert.  We had Bible study at our house that night, so I thought I would make for that. So I dug out my parent's church cookbook (they make the best cookbooks) and found the recipe.

This is what rhubarb looks like.  I kind of looks like a celery stalk but has a bitter taste so everything you make with rhubarb you need to add a lot of sugar.

So first thing is to wash and cut the rhubarb:

You need 4 cups of diced rhubarb:

Mix 1 cup flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1/2 cup butter:

Mix until crumbly:

Pat in 8 X 11 greased pan:

Bake for 10 minutes in 325 degree oven:

In the meantime:

Separate 3 eggs, keeping the egg whites chilled to use for the meringue.

Beat 3 eggs:

Add 2 cups sugar:

4 level Tbsp. flour, 3/4 cup of cream:

Mix well and pour over diced rhubarb:

Pour over baked crust (you do not have to cool the crust):

Bake for 45 minutes:

In the mean time, whip up the meringue:

Beat the three egg whites:

Add 5 Tbsp. of sugar:

Beat until egg whites form stiff peaks:

After it bakes, spoon the meringue on the rhubarb mixture:

Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown:

Cool and serve!

I hardly had time to take a picture before it was gone.  It was a hit at our Bible study, even to some one who kind of pulled a face when I mentioned it was rhubarb, she liked it, she really liked it!  It's one of my favorites growing up and if you ever get a hold of some really good rhubarb, you should make this!