Rhubarb Redux!

First, if you were waiting with baited breath to find out which book Teresa chose, it was Two Fat Ladies Ride Again, full of all the deep fried, cream-topped, butter-melting Two Fat Ladies goodness. God rest Jennifer Patterson's soul; she's still missed.

Matt's comment about how much he didn't appreciate the rhubarb he had when he had it, and how it's now precious because he doesn't have access to this lowly fruit made me think differently about this lowly fruit. I decided to get and eat every stalk possible--raising a fork toward Matt's international direction while doing it.

With my parents in town to drop off a tired but exuberant M, and Phil's parents coming over for dinner, I made a quick rhubarb sauce to go with the chicken thighs Phil grilled. Like the rhubarb jam, this is delicious but incredibly easy and perfect for the very lazy in the kitchen. I threw in a few apples we had that on hand that were close to turning, and the whole thing made a nice foil for the spicy chicken. Here's how.

Rhubarb Sauce for the Very Lazy

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup water
About 4 cups one-inch segments of rhubarb
3 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks

Bring the sugar and water to a boil. Add the rhubarb and apples, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Take the lid off and let it bubble a bit more until it's slightly less thick than you want. (It'll thicken as it cools.) Eat it warm, cold, or at room temperature.