Every spring my mother and Bill Wolverton had a race to see who could make the first rhubarb pie of the year. One year his was so early she decided he'd cheated and used frozen rhubarb.

We never had it with strawberries or worse yet strawberry Jello in it, just pure tangy but yet sweet pink fruit in a flaky double crust. I say if you have to cut the rhubarb flavor with something else, then don't waste the rhubarb.

For a change of pace, here is a dessert square recipe. You can cut them big and serve on a plate with whipped cream or ice cream, or cut smaller and eat from the hand.

Sour Cream Rhubarb Squares
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Mix granulated sugar, nuts, butter or margarine and cinnamon until crumbly. Cream together brown sugar, shortening and egg. Thoroughly stir together flour, soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Stir in rhubarb. Turn into greased and floured 13 x 9 inch pan. Sprinkle with reserved topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm or cool. Good topped with ice cream.


This is my favorite rhubarb pie recipe, from the Kitchen Klatter Cookbook.

Rhubarb Custard Meringue Pie
Baked 9 inch pie shell
2 cups rhubarb
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Meringue:
2 egg whites
6 tablespoons sugar
Vanilla or lemon extract

Stew the rhubarb with the 3/4 cup sugar until soft. Set aside to cool. Beat the egg yolks, and combine with the milk, sugar, flour, lemon juice and salt. Add the stewed rhubarb and pour into the pie shell. Bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees, and 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Meringue: Beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually beat in the sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Stir in the extract. Spread on the hot pie, touching the crust. Brown at 300° for 15 minutes.