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Jim Dixon wrote about food for WW for more than 20 years, but these days most of his time is spent at his olive oil-focused specialty food business Wellspent Market. Jim’s always loved to eat, and he encourages his customers to cook by sending them recipes every week through his newsletter. We’re happy to have him back creating some special dishes just for WW readers.
For years, the arrival of spring reminded me that, once again, I’d forgotten to plant rhubarb in my backyard garden. Eventually, a friend who hated it told me to take hers, a massive plant that took much longer than I’d anticipated to dig up. Rhubarb is perfect for lazy gardeners like me who want to stick something in the ground and come back later to eat it with minimal attention in between.
And it’s delicious. Most of my harvest ends up as compote, a fancy name for what my grandmother called stewed rhubarb, the red stalks cooked to an applesaucelike consistency with some kind of sweetener. I stir it into yogurt, top pancakes with a dollop, and eat it plain with a spoon. Rhubarb pie—no strawberries, please—is one of my favorites.
If you’re new to rhubarb and aren’t quite ready for a big bowlful, these cookies offer a more gentle introduction. Cutting the stalks into small pieces results in subtle bits of the tangy flavor. The cookies aren’t too sweet, so they’re just as good alongside a glass of wine as a bowl of ice cream.
Recipe
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped rhubarb*
*Rhubarb stalks vary in thickness, so a single thick one could provide enough, but a little extra wouldn’t hurt; trim away any bits of leaf, slice the stalk from top to bottom into 2 or 3 long pieces, and chop crosswise into roughly ¼-inch pieces.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In one bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In another, blend the olive oil and sugar together, then add the egg and stir vigorously to add a little air. Mix in the yogurt, vanilla and rhubarb, then add the flour mix.
Use a scoop to make small balls of dough about an inch across and space them about 2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet (or use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat). Bake for about 12 minutes for soft cookies with lightly browned edges, 14-16 minutes for a darker cookie with a touch of crispy but a soft center.