NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

June 10, 1999

Tom Isern, Professor of History
North Dakota State University

©1998 Plains Folk

You have to admire those Litchville ladies who cooked up "Ritzy Rhubarb Secrets." Whereas other clubs and committees commonly produce cookbooks of local interest, they, without benefit of focus groups or advertising agencies, manufactured a cult classic.

"Ritzy Rhubarb Secrets" was published by the Litchville Committee 2000 and edited by Jane Winge. There are historical and technical sections, but the bulk of the book is devoted to recipes sorted by genre: Bars & Cookies; Beverages; Breads, Sweet Rolls and Muffins; Cakes; Desserts; Pies, Tarts, Crusts and Meringues; Preserves and Preservation; Puddings, Sauces and Soups; Salads; and Toppings and Glazes.

This is classic Dakota Territory cookery: beginning with a staple characteristic of the region; merging the regional with the ethnic, as with rhubarb kuchen; embracing individual variation and creation (everyone has her own rhubarb crunch); and finally going over the top--into culinary domains where, personally, I do not wish to go—as with that rhubarb-and-red-hot upside-down cake.

"Ritzy Rhubarb Secrets" is a great gift for visitors and newcomers to our part of the country. It's in its third printing, with more to come, I hope.

Around our place we've sharpened the chains on our saws and attacked the rhubarb forest once again. My own crunch and muffin recipes are posted at my recipe page (http://rrnet.com/~plains/recipe). Moreover, we've devised some new-age creations that break out of the Lutheran tradition.

Syrup is the key. "Ritzy Rhubarb Secrets" gives instructions for extracting rhubarb juice, which is a simple matter. It also suggests making a light syrup from the juice. We make a heavy syrup—equal parts juice and sugar—and go on from there.

For one thing, this syrup is good on another old standard, bread pudding. Melt a little butter (of course) in a saucepan, add syrup, and then finish off the sauce with a splash of bourbon. (You can tell your picky relatives that the alcohol cooks off, which is a lie, but is sometimes satisfies them.)

Speaking of bourbon, how about this for a summer cocktail—equal parts of rhubarb syrup and bourbon (or whatever is your standard brown drink) in crushed ice. Then, to give it a real Dakota flourish, go out to the nearest slough and sniff around for some native mint. Wild mint around here differs from the garden varieties in both form (it flowers all along the stalk instead of at the end) and in scent (smells like the slough to me). Bruise the mint leaves into the glass.

Now that I've started down this road of decadence, I'm going all the way, to another beverage that offers the ultimate in rhubarb sensuality. Better remove this page from your paper so the kids don't read it. I'm talking about the "Lena Margarita."

"Ritzy Rhubarb Secrets" contains various recipes for punches and slushes using rhubarb juice or syrup. Most of them incorporate something that partakes more of pop culture than of folklore—frozen lemonade, Kool-Aid, that sort of thing. Let's get back to basics. If you want a rhubarb drink, then make it a rhubarb drink.

You've got a blender? Fill it with ice. Add about a cup of heavy rhubarb syrup. Then about a half-cup of tequila. Buzz it into a froth. You're done. My advice is to leave out the salt on the glass, as for me, it seems to conflict with the rhubarb, but suit yourself on that.

Naming these things is half the fun. The melodious Lena Margarita seems perfect. If you're not Norwegian, though, you might prefer the alternate name, "Tequila Borealis." Serve these to your guests unawares and they'll be surprised, pleasantly.

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Source: Tom Isern (701) 231-8339

Editor: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136