Grandpa Fred's Rhubarb Sauce

My Grandfather Fred was not a stranger to the kitchen. His mother was a hotel cook in Michigan in the late 1800's before she married. She was famous for her flaky puff pastry that she made in a country kitchen without electricity or refrigeration, only an ice box to keep her butter cold. She transferred a love of good quality food to her son.  According to my mother, Fred made an excellent steak tartar, ground at home because he wouldn't trust the cleanliness of the butcher's grinder. He made fresh egg nog at Christmas, excellent strong coffee that he clarified with egg whites and shells, and this rhubarb sauce.

This recipe calls for only a few ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to prepare. It has many uses: An ice cream, tapioca, or Greek yogurt topping, as a spread on waffles or toast, and as a filling for crepes. It could also be interested on roast pork. It's sweet, tart, and tastes like early summer. I slightly adapted Grandpa Fred's recipe, as written in his own hand, adding some lemon zest for its brightness.

For just over 1 pint (2 cups) of sauce, you will need:

• 1 quart (4 cups) rhubarb, cleaned, not peeled, all leaves removed, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups sugar, depending on your desired sweetness
• 1 teaspoon Angostura Aromatic Bitters, to cut the sweetness and add some depth of flavor
• Zest of one small lemon
• A few drops of red or pink food color, optional (I was skeptical about this at first, but it really did made the sauce look more appealing.)

Directions:

Put the water and sugar into a large saucepan over high heat. Dissolve the sugar for a minute or two, then add the rhubarb pieces.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook for 5-10 minutes, watching carefully and stirring occasionally. (Cooking time will depend on the thickness of your rhubarb stalks.) When the rhubarb is tender, remove from heat immediately and stir in the lemon zest and bitters. The rhubarb will go from undercooked to disintegrated in a matter of minutes, so if you want a chunkier sauce, remove from heat when your rhubarb is still slightly al dente and place the saucepan in a bowl of ice water to cool. You can also puree the rhubarb into a smooth sauce, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.