Grandma's strawberry-rhubarb pie was a delicious part of childhood on Long Island when I was growing up there, but what else can be prepared using the distinctive, sweet-tart flavor of rhubarb? For an answer to that question we once again turned to our friend Gwen Kenneally. Gwen runs Back to the Kitchen in, a full-service catering and party planning business based in Southern California. She publishes a terrific blog by the same name, with stories of culinary nightmares & triumphs inspiring readers to explore their own creative approaches to cooking.

Gwen sent us the following recipe and said:

As we step into rhubarb season I get lot of questions about what the heck to do with it! Rhubarb is a relative of buckwheat and has an earthy, sour flavor. Rhubarb is considered a vegetable because it has no seeds. It is most often treated as a fruit, though rarely eaten raw.

Just like fresh cranberries, rhubarb is almost unbearably tart on its own and needs the sweetness of sugar, honey, fruit juice or agave added to balance the acidity. Look for thin, reddish pink stalks of rhubarb — they'll give the most colorful, tender, and flavorful results. And be sure to avoid using the leaves, which are toxic. The other almost-spring addition is the truly amazing and vibrant fruit of blood oranges. It has an extraordinary deep red color and the sweet, sweet flavor of an orange kissed by a raspberry. When you are in the mood for a sweet/sour dish this recipe is a delicious March choice.