Rhubarb is at its prime in early June and if you live in the upper Midwest, you’ve probably been raised on rhubarb. Long term care residents, being unable to cook anymore, often yearn for the delicious rhubarb dishes that their family once enjoyed. Rhubarb Daze gives them the opportunity to enjoy those wonderful flavors once more.
The tables are decorated with plastic table covers of pink and light green. Centerpieces consist of quart size canning jars, green ones if available, each holding three or four large rhubarb leaves. (Leaves should be harvested the day of the party to eliminate wilting.)
Staff members are asked to prepare a rhubarb dish to share with the residents. Depending on the number of staff, each may prepare two to three dishes. All rhubarb dishes are divided into small, 3 to 4 bite size, pieces so that every participant can sample each dish.
Staff dish up the plates putting one small amount of each rhubarb delight on each plate. The most popular offering include: rhubarb ice cream, rhubarb punch, rhubarb four-layer dessert, rhubarb whip (appropriate for those requiring a puree diet), sour cream rhubarb dessert, rhubarb buttermilk muffins, rhubarb upside down cake, rhubarb borscht, and rhubarb cookies. There are dozens of recipes but these have proved to be popular favorites.
Rhubarb word scramble sheets are placed on each table with pens so participants have something to do as they wait for all the residents to gather. The emcee then shares a bit of rhubarb lore and knowledge before everyone digs in.
