Rhubarb is a cherished gift of springtime, be it in a bubbling crisp or a syrupy compote. While more familiar as a dessert fruit, rhubarb is actually a vegetable, long added to savory dishes in the Middle East, Scandinavia and Russia (whence it originated). In the Middle East, it appears in a meat sauce called khoreshta. In Turkey and Greece, honey-sweetened rhubarb flavors dishes in the same way as fresh currants, lemon and sorrel do, adding a unique and astringent accent.

More and more chefs in America are discovering the versatility of this lipsmacking ingredient. On Dahlia Lounge menus, we've paired rhubarb with lamb, foie gras and ahi tuna. Currently, our cinnamon roasted squab dish is sauced with a rhubarb syrup. And our dessert lemon tart is perfectly complimented with a scoop of rhubarb sorbet.

Garden grown rhubarb appears in markets in April or May, while hothouse rhubarb is available in late February. Be sure to choose firm, bright red stalks that are slim (thick stalks tend to be more sour and stringy) and avoid the leaves as they contain oxalic acid.

..some other signs of spring our menus... asparagus, corn shoots, halibut, buckwheat sprouts, spring lamb, English peas, fava beans Alaskan King crab legs