Rhubarb Oat Bars

It seems I have been on a mission to use the fresh rhubarb that is coming up, and I still have a few more rhubarb recipes to share with you. I am working out the finer details of a Rhubarb Cream Meringue Pie. I am already thinking that the prairie saskatoons and blueberries will be next to arrive. Little baby apples are now appearing on the apple trees, and I thought to myself, now there’s the baby photo of an upcoming fall apple pie. Today I baked these Rhubarb Oat Bars, and they are super yummy. The variety of rhubarb I have is called Strawberry Red, and so far it has been very easy to grow, so if you have a small spot in your yard, it does come back every year.

Oats, have a lot of important health benefits such as inhibiting cardio vascular disease by slowing down the buildup of plaque inside the blood vessels. Oats contain a special fiber called beta-glucan, which has been proven to have the beneficial effect of removing cholesterol from the digestive track, before it can enter the blood stream. Oats help to stabilize blood sugar, which may be beneficial for people with diabetes, insulin resistant metabolic syndrome and obesity. Oats contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, as well as resistant starch which acts like fiber.

Rhubarb is also a good source of fiber, vitamin K, and vitamin C. Research shows that it may be beneficial for diabetes as it mimics the action of insulin, allowing the sugar to enter the cell, where it may be burned instead of circulating in the blood. I always like to use the younger thinner rhubarb, as I find it is more tender and less sour than the larger stalks. Always remember that the leaves of the rhubarb plant are poisonous. I hope you enjoy this prairie treat.

Rhubarb Oat Bars

1 cup oats, large flake

3/4 cup flour, unbleached

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups of rhubarb, finely sliced

1/2 cup white cane sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt and butter. Press 2/3 of this mixture into an 8 x 8-inch baking pan. In a small bowl stir the sliced rhubarb and white sugar together. Spread the rhubarb mixture over the oats mixture. Cover with the remaining oat mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool before cutting, or serve hot with vanilla ice cream.