Roasted Rhubarb

[kirra]

Roasted Rhubarb

Ingredients:

1 pound -- trimmed weight -- rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar (or more to taste)
Grated zest of 1 lemon or 1/2 orange (I used orange)
Honey, optional, for serving

Preparation:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the rhubarb into pieces about 2 inches long (of course you can cut them shorter, if you'd like) and toss them into a baking dish that will hold them comfortably. (I used a Pyrex pie plate.) Sprinkle over the sugar and zest and stir everything around until the rhubarb is covered with sugar. Set aside for about 5 minutes, or just long enough for a little syrup to start to form.

Cover the baking dish with foil and roast the rhubarb for 15 minutes. Take a peek and if the sugar isn't almost completely melted, stir the rhubarb, re-cover the pan with the foil and roast a few mintues more. Now remove the foil and let the rhubarb roast for another 5 minutes or so, until the syrup is bubbling.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the rhubarb cool to just warm or to room temperature; chill, if you'd like. Well packed, the rhubarb can stay in the fridge for 3 days.

If the rhubarb isn't sweet enough for you -- 1/2 cup of sugar won't give you a very sweet dish -- drizzle a little honey over the fruit before serving.

Spoon over ice cream, rice pudding or yogurt. Makes 4 small servings