When I first saw this stalk at the produce store I thought whoa! “Red Celery“, but… not!
It is called Rhubarb, a plant with long red stalks and large green heart shaped leaves.
But only the stalks of rhubarb are edible; the leaves, which contain oxalic acid, are toxic.
The flavor of the rhubarb is sour, acidic; the redder the stalk, the sweeter it is.
When sweetened and cooked it is a traditional favorite for pies, pastries and making preserves.
This tart plant is also called the “Pie Plant”
Yummy visual for Valentine’s Day! Made me hungry and I don’t much like rhubarb (although it’s one of my mother’s favorites!) Another visual beauty. Great work!
This post is so sweet! Do you guys not have rhubarb so commonly in America? It’s a childhood favourite of mine.
I landed here after wandering blissfully through some of your illustrations, but only because rhubarb is part of my childhood, and I love it! My mother always had rhubarb in the garden, along with eggplant and asparagus. She stewed the rhubarb and froze it in glass jars that way — we put it on ice cream, she baked it in pies, and my dad just ate it with a spoon from a bowl. But I also wanted to say that I really really love your artistic style! It’s very unique, and very pleasurable! I also like the way you write about things, and have had a most joyous visit to your blog (this is my first visit but it won’t be my last). I’m hoping to get something created for this week’s theme (multiple), but don’t know if I’ll make it. I always do digital collages, which means that I don’t have any mess to clean up afterward, which helps a lot! Stop by sometime! I’d love to share artist’s secrets and dreams with you!
Cheers,
Carol Rose