Rhubarb in a Hurry

In parts of Germany, nearly every family garden displays a rhubarb plant. Year after year, rhubarb lovers take the pink stalks (pulling off the poisonous green leaves) and cut them into pieces to dip into a bowl of sugar for a snack.

Rhubarb, which is very tart, should be cooked with lots of sugar to make it tasty. Overcooking, though, will cause it to be stringy. For a dessert sauce, such as the one that follows, the rhubarb is covered with a lid or plastic wrap to retain as much steam as possible. Steam plus microwaves make for quicker cooking.

We found that the following rhubarb pie, cooked by microwave and conventional means, is one of the best double-crust pies we’ve tasted. The rhubarb tastes fresher and holds its shape and bright color because it is cooked for a shorter time than usual--a total of less than 25 minutes. The crust crisps up nicely in the conventional oven and doesn’t get as soggy on the bottom.

Serve this sauce over vanilla ice cream, plain yogurt, with whipped cream or beside a piece of chocolate cake.

CANDIED RHUBARB SAUCE

1 pound rhubarb, cut in 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice or water

Combine rhubarb, sugar and orange juice in 1 1/2-quart microwave-proof casserole, stirring well to mix. Cover with lid or plastic wrap, turned back slightly. Microwave on HIGH (100% power) 3 minutes. Stir.

Cover again and microwave on HIGH 2 to 6 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Stir. Chill, covered, until ready to serve. Makes 2 cups.

Variation: Candied Rhubarb-Strawberry Sauce

Add 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced, to cooked rhubarb. Cover again and microwave on HIGH 1 to 3 minutes or until strawberries are heated through, stirring once.

DOUBLE-COOKED RHUBARB PIE

Pastry dough for double crust (9-inch) pie

4 cups (1/2-inch) rhubarb pieces

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon grated orange zest, optional

2 tablespoons butter, cut in pieces

Roll out dough for 1 crust into 12-inch circle on lightly floured surface. Ease into 9-inch pie plate.

Toss together rhubarb, sugar, flour and orange zest in large mixing bowl. Spoon filling into crust. Dot with butter.

Roll out top crust in same way and place over rhubarb. Cut few decorative slashes in upper crust to vent steam. Tuck upper crust under lower crust and flute edges or press with fork.

Microwave on HIGH (100% power) 8 to 12 minutes or until juices start to bubble through slits in crust, rotating after 4 minutes. Transfer to conventional oven. Bake at 425 degrees 8 to 12 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Note : Almost any double-crust fruit pie, made with canned or fresh filling, can be cooked according to this pie recipe as long as it is made in glass or ceramic pie plate that is transparent to microwaves but can withstand heat of conventional oven. Cook in microwave until fruit begins to bubble up through holes in crust, then transfer to conventional oven.