Its moniker may be the "pie plant", but rhubarb shouldn't always be destined for crust. When Ryan Bartlow of Frankies Spuntino 570 cooked at the Beard House last month, he served this relaxed and rustic dessert of poached rhubarb topped with buttery walnut crumble and the restaurant's signature ricotta. Bartlow mellows the rhubarb's tartness by cooking it in a blend of port, sugar, vanilla pods, and a pinch of whole black peppercorns. Naturally, the recipe is inspired by his mother's strawberry–rhubarb pie.
Get the recipe here. When shopping for rhubarb, look for stalks with the deepest blush you can find.