Rhubarb is actually a vegetable, but is often used in food as a fruit. In the United States up until the 1940’s, it was considered a vegetable. It was reclassified as a fruit when US customs officials, baffled by the foreign food, decided it should be classified according to the way it was eaten.” Here’s Grandma’s Rhubarb Pie By Chef Jamie McFadden it’s so good.

Makes 1 Pie

• 1 premade pie crust

For the filling:

• 5 cups sliced rhubarb

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 5 tablespoons flour

• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

• 2 tsp salt

• 1 ½ tablespoon cranberry juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine above ingredients and mix well. Pour into your favorite premade or homemade pie crust. Place pie in middle rack, and bake 60-70 minutes until set.

Let rest up to 2 hours before slicing. Excellent served with vanilla ice cream.

Chef Jamie McFadden’s Tips for Purchasing & Storing Rhubarb

• Firm, crisp stalks: Look for stalks that are firm, crisp and blemish free.

• Fresh leaves: If the leaves are attached, be sure they look fresh and not dried & wilted.

• April through June: Although you can find rhubarb from as early as mid-spring in certain parts of the country and throughout the summer, the season primarily runs from April to June.

• Store rhubarb unwashed in the refrigerator, for up to one week. Or wash, chop, and freeze it for up to six months

Chef McFadden continued, “The interesting thing about rhubarb is that it can be prepared in sweet or savory applications, and also makes an excellent addition to cocktails.

Of course, many utilize Rhubarb for pies and the traditional rhubarb sauce. But cooked down with the addition of sweet fennel and spicy, bright pink peppercorn, it makes an incredible accompaniment to dishes like Duck Breast or Pork Tenderloin. I also love to serve it pickled and spiced, as a side to Charcuterie or summer salads.”

As a chef with over three decades of culinary experience, celebrity Chef Jamie McFadden has worked with Chef Peter Timmins at the Park Hotel in Ireland, The La Verranne Cooking School in Burgundy, France, and was one of the first Central Florida chefs to cook at the James Beard House. With his world travels transforming both his palate and his career path, Chef McFadden is now the proprietor of five-star reviewed Sandy Ridge Vineyards & Mercantile, owner of five-star rated Cuisiniers Catering, and the inspiration behind Snowbirds Vintners, a gold award winning wine portfolio centered around micro-lot, sustainably harvested vintages.

Once the home of Sandy Ridge Farm, Sandy Ridge Vineyards & Mercantile recently reopened as a fresh concept for the Norwalk, Ohio community. Featuring a tasting room with gourmet dishes created by Chef McFadden, Sandy Ridge is also home to a local market with freshly baked goods and sweets, regular live entertainment, a neighborhood gathering space, and wines-available either for purchase, or to sip by the glass.

The design and layout of the restoration project features warm, natural wood paneling, wrought iron trimmed sliding barn doors, and bright, textural elements like armless tufted mid-Century modern chairs in azure blue vegan suede. At the center of the mercantile is the McFadden family’s cherished heirloom, a 1928 Model A Ford Roadster, pristinely cared for and on display for guests to enjoy up close and in person.