Our house is the neighbourhood home for unwanted rhubarb. I love the stuff, while some of our friends who have rhubarb growing in their gardens just aren’t as keen (or possibly just have way too much). It’s not uncommon for us to come home to find a bag of rhubarb hanging on our front door handle, sometimes with a cabbage for the chickens thrown in.
There’s just one difficulty with the free rhubarb – it just doesn’t fit into the fridge easily. It’s too big for the salad drawer and ideally wants a shelf all to itself. I’ve tried leaving it out of the fridge and it just goes limp. Chop it into smaller pieces and it just dries out. This spring though, I think I’ve finally got rhubarb sorted. I can get a big bunch of fresh rhubarb from the doorstep and into a manageable, fridge-friendly, ready-to-eat tub of compote in under 10 minutes.
Here’s how to do it. Give the rhubarb a quick wash and cut off any leaves, plus an inch or so of stem from either end. Chop the rhubarb into inch long segments and place in a ceramic bowl. Add a splash of water or a squeeze of orange juice and a scant tablespoon of honey. Microwave on full power for two minutes. Stir and return to the microwave for a further two minutes or until the rhubarb is soft and disintegrating. Taste and add more honey if needed.
There’s nothing wrong with cooking rhubarb on the hob by the way, it’s just that cooking it on the hob requires a bit more time and attention. Which means that I’m more likely to want to cook it later when I can give it my full attention, rather than right away. Which means I’m going to try and wedge it into the fridge somehow, around the yogurt pots and over the relish jars…
The compote is great in a smoothie, with creamy natural yogurt, on oatmeal/porridge or with leftover quinoa for a quick breakfast.
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Recipe for Rhubarb and quinoa breakfast bowl
Bring the rhubarb compote up to room temperature before using (see post for how to make the rhubarb compote). I like this cold but you can also warm through the quinoa and milk.
Serves one
3 tbsp cooked quinoa
Your milk of choice (about a third of a pint)
3 tbsp rhubarb compote
1 tsp chopped, toasted almonds
Spoon the quinoa into a bowl and cover with plenty of milk. Warm in the microwave or on the hob if wished.
Top with the rhubarb compote and then sprinkle over the toasted nuts.
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Sophie Roberts is a registered dietitian based in Oxford, UK. She loves combining her nutrition know-how with a sustainable approach to buying and preparing food and shares her tips and recipes here at Mostly Eating. 
{ 16 comments }
What a fab idea to cook the rhubarb in the microwave Sophie.
I cannot imagine why I had not thought of it before!
I wish my neighbours left me goodies like this!
Thanks Helen. I’ve no idea what took me so long to think of sticking it in the microwave either but it has been a minor culinary revelation!
well, you know just how useful this one is for me, Sophie! gorgeous.
and indeed I did think of you and your luscious rhubarb patch when I was writing this Lucy :-)
rhubarb in the microwave – you are speaking my language – too often I don’t buy rhubarb because I know I don’t have time to cook it but this is brilliant!
exactly – I have in the past declined free rhubarb because I knew it wouldn’t fit in the fridge but never again! Glad the microwave idea is a useful tip for you Johanna.
Yum. That sounds fantastic! Now I can’t wait till rhubarb starts showing up in the markets here! Also, side note: I love that spoon in the first picture!
That young rhubarb looks gorgeous! I can just imagine the rhubarb trying to fill a whole fridge shelf. I’ve made rhubarb compote in the oven before, which is not quick, but at least requires no stirring. It’s nice with orange rind too.
Lovely, lovely stuff Sophie. I do like your idea of a “breakfast bowl” – immediately makes it sound flexible and easy.
unwanted rhubarb?! Yours is a lucky life indeed if you’re the go-to person for unwanted rhubarb. It’s some of my favorite stuff, as is quinoa. I can’t believe I never managed to think of putting compote with quinoa for breakfast. Warm weather genius!
mmm.. looks delish! i have a kilo of quinoa that i had no idea what to do with until now and rhubarb from last season beginning to shoot in the front garden.. :)
I’ve just started growing rhubarb in my garden so I’ll save this recipe and try it in the autumn!
Microwave? Really? Why would you create such a nutrient dense dish and then zap it all away with a microwave?
This recipe sounds wonderful!
Rhubarb is a classic in our household, we have a small patch in the garden especially for it! I love making homemade rhubarb and apple crumble, so tasty. Luckily we have a large fridge/freezer combo and the rhubarb fits in, only just diagonally. I’ve never heard of quinoa, but if it is with rhubarb it has got to be really nice!
Can you send me these quinoa and rhubarb recipes.
Thanks