Plant Superstar of the Month is Rhubarb
by Lisa Mulder
Rhubarb is an amazing food that can be found for free for almost all Albertans! Even if you don’t have your own garden or raised garden bed at the Renfrew Community Garden (RCG), rhubarb is easy to come by in early summer. Nearly any house built in the 50s or 60s will have a rhubarb plant so you might even have one in your yard. If you don’t have a rhubarb plant growing around your building, swing by the Renfrew Community Garden. We have several rhubarb plants and if they are growing at ground level, they are free for anyone to pick and enjoy. Just remember, while the stalk is edible and delicious (full of vitamins and fibre), the leaf is not.
Typically, rhubarb is eaten in desserts, but did you know that it is actually a vegetable? When I was growing up, we would pick a stalk and eat it fresh, with the umbrella leaf still attached – oh, so sour! Other kids dipped their stalks in sugar. My mom made an amazing rhubarb custard tart. As a mom myself, I’ve made rhubarb juice, rhubarb fruit rollups, rhubarb sauces (both sweet and savory), rhubarb pies, and of course, rhubarb custard tarts! I love using dehydrated rhubarb slices in my own herbal tea mixes; it lends a deep rich tone to the tea.
I’ve always been amazed by the abundance of food we can grow in Calgary! In addition to rhubarb in early summer, apples by the barrelful can be found in the fall! If you are more adventurous, seek out some Saskatoons at the RCG in our parks and/or river valleys in late summer. At the Renfrew Community Garden, everyone is invited to enjoy what grows in our in-ground beds: walking onion, garlic, rhubarb, Saskatoons, cherries, several varieties of currants, gooseberry, haskap, goji berries, mint, and so much more!
Gentle reminder: the RCG in-ground beds are there for everyone to enjoy. The raised garden beds are planted and nurtured by members of the Renfrew Community Garden and are not for public picking.
There are some amazing recipes for rhubarb and other locally grown edibles to be found online. Don’t forget to check out the Renfrew Community Garden at https://renfrewcommunitygarden.wordpress.com/.
Click here to the Renfrew Community News home page for the latest Renfrew community updates.
