6-01-2025 4:09am

Philosophizing About Food With Francine: Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Lesley Misko Editor

by Francine Black

It was a perfect morning to play in the kitchen. The sourdough breads baking in the oven, the strawberry rhubarb jam bubbling in its little pot, and the broccoli cheddar soup sending a fragrant steam through the air-- all worked to dispel the unseasonable chilly gloom on this day in late May!

Strawberries and rhubarb in local gardens are among the wonderful harbingers of spring here in Pennsylvania. It’s strange that we use some fruits as vegetables, the tomato, for example.

In the case of rhubarb, it’s actually categorized as a vegetable although it’s used as a fruit!

Rhubarb is an ancient plant thought to have originated in either Russia or China many millennia ago. And so it was brought to Europe from Russia in the 13th century to take its lovely place in most self-respecting gardens.

The leaves, as some unfortunate ancient souls discovered, are toxic. But the root of the plant was treasured for its laxative properties. It wasn’t until the winter of 1817 that the gorgeous red and green stalks were deemed fit to consume.

Since then, those nutritionally dense stalks have appeared in cakes, pies, sauces, jams, quite often paired with their BFF’s, strawberries. I find that combination to be a perfect example of the attraction of opposites. The surprising tartness of the rhubarb just seems to compliment and intensify the sweetness of the strawberry.

We enjoyed our lunch today: a good dish of soup and a nice slab of warm bread slathered in strawberry rhubarb jam!

High in the mountains above Bally, where the dense groves of treetops seem to touch the sky, is Francine Black, Boyertown’s own version of chef Julia Child. Her daily activities reflect the things she most values: family and friends, music, and lovingly prepared food.