It's not surprising rhubarb fails to get the respect it deserves. Its leaves are poisonous and its stalk is lemony-tart. It's a vegetable that's most often served as a fruit, but not embraced by either tribe. Indeed a search through several fruit-and-vegetable books yielded very few references to rhubarb. The lowly rutabaga was given more consideration.

Even when presented with a rhubarb dessert bar for testing on a recent Friday afternoon, it was hard to get our tasters to bite. One claimed a traumatic experience with her mother's overly tart experiment. "I'll never touch it again," she said emphatically. Another cynic added, "Rhubarb? What's the point when there are so many other good fruits?"

Ah. But that's exactly the point. Many of those "other fruits" aren't at their best right now, and rhubarb bridges the seasons of winter and spring with a boldness of color and taste.

Hothouse rhubarb has been available since January, and the season often lasts through early spring.

"The hothouse is the perfect environment for growing rhubarb," explains Cindy Moore of the Washington Rhubarb Growers Association. "Because of the warmth and dampness in the hothouse, all of the plant's energy goes into the stalk, which makes them tender and more pliable."

Hothouse rhubarb does not need peeling, but field harvests can become stringy. Pare the stalks with a vegetable peeler or pull the strings with a small paring knife.

Although field rhubarb is usually ready for harvest around mid-April, "because of this winter's warm weather, we'll have some ready this week," said Moore. The season should last through September.

The secret to cooking with rhubarb successfully is to think of it as the tart ingredient in a well-balanced sweet-and-sour sauce. It's the same chemistry that makes the marriage of rhubarb and strawberries a classic. Oranges and cherries, brown sugar, honey and maple syrup also change rhubarb's brash profile. It takes a surprising turn as a sauce when paired with the richness of duck or salmon, or the mildness of fresh halibut. And for pure, ruby-colored jams and chutneys, nothing can top the brilliance of rhubarb.

When buying rhubarb, choose stalks that are firm, plump and crisp, with smooth reddish skins. Check both ends for decay, which may be a sign of loose, spongy tissue in the center of the stalk.

The leaves contain toxic amounts of oxalic acid and should be removed before purchasing. Rhubarb will keep up to seven days when sealed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

One pound raw rhubarb equals ¾ cup cooked. Don't use an aluminum pan for cooking rhubarb because its acidity will react with the metal.

It freezes well for up to 10 months. Wash, trim and cut the stalks into lengths that will fit your freezer containers. Freezer bags, freezer jars and plastic containers can all be used.

To preserve both the color and flavor of the fruit, blanch the cut rhubarb for 1 minute in boiling water, drain and plunge into a bowl of icewater to stop the cooking. Drain, pat dry and pack into the containers, leaving ½ inch headspace. It can also be frozen in a heavy syrup of 2 cups sugar to 4 cups water.

CeCe Sullivan: csullivan@seattletimes.com

Sources: The Rhubarb Compendium; "Chez Panisse Fruit" by Alice Waters; "The Fruit and Vegetable Stand" by Barry Ballister