I wanted to do this post about 3 weeks ago when I discovered some locally grown rhubarb all the way down here in Texas. This is the first year I have seen any as it tends to favor cooler weather than we have down here. It’s possible I made some sort of squealing sound in addition to a happy leap when I saw it. I think I bought the rest of what they had that week, which was around 6 or so pounds. The first bunch of it went towards jammy experiments for the shop and market, so I made sure to set some aside the next time for baking. I was hoping to get more yesterday, but the season ended and I was left with only 2 cups of rhubarb. I knew I didn’t have enough for a pie, and I really did not want to combine it with strawberries. I ended up deciding on a bit of a cross between a pie and a crumble bar, making the bars in a smaller pan to accommodate the amount of rhubarb I had.
I’ve been thinking about combining a bit of orange blossom water with the rhubarb as it almost has a citrus-y taste to me. So, I included a splash in these bars along with a bit of freshly grated orange zest. I decided to go with a hearty buckwheat crust as rhubarb and buckwheat are actually in the same family. I figured they would go well together and create a nice contrast in flavor and texture. As I am writing this I realize that rhubarb is on its way out for the year, but perhaps you might still be able to get your hands on some. If not, no worries. You can always save the recipe for next year 🙂
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