From the bayous of Louisiana, rhubarb recipes are often Southern favorite deserts, despite the fact that rhubarb is harder to grown in Southern climates. In an ever increasingly health conscious society, rhubarb ranks high -- as it is low in calories, a source of potassium, contains a small amount of Vitamins A and C, and additional amounts of folic acid, and calcium.

My great aunts, their daughters, and their mother's all were big rhubarb afectionados. To begin with, here is a tasty pudding from the recipe box of my Great Aunt Julienne.

Tante Julienne's Rhubarb Pudding

ICING:

• 4 cups rhubarb
• 1 cups raw brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix together the sugar, flour and salt.

2. Beat the egg and add the first mixture gradually.

3. Beat in the melted butter.

4. Add the rhubarb and mix thoroughly.

5. Put this in a buttered glass baking dish and set aside.

BATTER:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sifted flour
• 1 teaspoons baking powder

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Sift flour and baking powder.

2. Cream butter, add three tablespoons sugar and cream thoroughly.

3. Beat the egg and add the rest of the sugar to the egg.

4. Add this to the creamed butter and sugar.

5. Add the flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time, alternately with the milk and beat well.

6. Pour this on top of the icing in the buttered glass-baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for one hour.

Remember: Only the stems of rhubarb are edible, the rest being poisonous.

There was a summer in Houma, Louisiana, when great rhubarb debate began on the front porch and continued to the kitchen, and was won at the dining room table. All my aunts were highly competitive among themselves when it came to who had the best recipe. All were crazy about rhubarb and had many recipes between them for this favorite fruit. Whenever all three of them were working supposedly "together" in a cooking activity, highly animated Cadien sprinkled with English debates often erupted.

One of those debates was over, rhubarb sauce. As they were cleaning and slicing the fresh rhubarb, Tante Julienne commented that rhubarb sauce was only for special salads. Her older sister, Tante Eveline's eyes widened as if in shock, and as she stamped her foot in anger, she retorted that rhubarb sauce was a fruit side dish, like you'd serve applesauce.

Then, it seemed as if not wanting to be left out,the youngest sister, Tante Angelique (the elder, not the daughter) claimed they were both wrong it was a dessert, only to be served with meals of wild game.

Overhearing this, my Grandpere remarked, "The great rhubarb debate has erupted again, I think it‘s time we went fishing before the rhubarb starts flying around the kitchen!"

With that we took off for a quieter day than we would have had, had we stayed home.

Ingredients:

• 1 quart fresh rhubarb, peeled and sliced thin
• Water
• 3 tablespoons granulated tapioca
• ¾ cup of sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced (according to Tante Angelique) optional according to her sisters

Or

1 ½ tablespoons grated orange rind and juice (according to Tante Julienne) optional according to her sisters

Instructions:

• Place rhubarb in large saucepan
• Add water to cover half the rhubarb
• Stir in tapioca and sugar
• Mix well

Add strawberries, if following Tante Angelique's recipe. Cover pan. Bring rhubarb to boil. Cook until rhubarb is tender, but not mushy. Remove from heat. Add grated orange rind and juice, if following Tante Julienne's recipe. Add baking soda (Note: Baking soda will make rhubarb to foam up briefly)Chill Serve

Makes about 8 servings

The debate continued from earlier in the morning, despite the fact that both versions had been made for the dinner table. Grandpere was wise enough to compliment all of his daughters and declared it a tie as to which was the best. I'm certain today that he had plenty of diplomatic practice living around them and with them.

Knowing that this would not pacify the sisters, he elaborated in his compliments by asking -- Tante Julienne, if she would be so kind to make him a salad with her sauce for lunch the next day; then he turned to Tante Eveline and asked her to serve him some rhubarb fruit with his breakfast; and ended by asking Tante Angelique, if she could leave some extra in the pantry, because he was fixing to get another deer for a venison roast. He was certain that Memere would not have anything ready for dessert once she helped him dress the deer.

Grandmere, on the other hand simply smiled and kept out of the debate, winking at me, and signaling that this was no time for taking sides. As young as I was, I didn't have to be told. These spirited women could take a simple disagreement to extreme levels of conflict that could last for days before they'd make-up -- only to start a new "discussion."

Note: The use of rhubarb sauce on wild game is in part a basting technique during the cooking of the game. Much like you would glaze a turkey, rhubarb sauce is basted over the meat, sealing in the flavor. Additionally, a cold side garnish of rhubarb sauce is served for those who can't get enough of the flavor. This also makes a fine and unique barbecue sauce, when you can finely diced onions, peppers, and celery.

Tante Julienne's daughter was equally as good as a cook as her mother, spending most of her childhood playing under the kitchen table. Her recipe for Rhubarb Cream Pie was also a family favorite.

Angelique's Rhubarb Cream Pie

Ingredients:

• Pastry for two 9 inch pie crusts
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 beaten extra large eggs
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 3 cups tiny cubed rhubarb (the smaller the better)
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

• Combine eggs, melted butter and rhubarb and let it stand while you make the pie crust
• Add mixture of sugar and flour and mix
• Pour into uncooked pie crust bottom
• Sprinkle with nutmeg
• Sprinkle with cinnamon
• Cover pie with top crust
• Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.
• Then, turn back over to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 30 minutes more

Angelique served this in bowls with sweet cream.