Resolved to squeeze as much food as we can out of our small-ish suburban yard, my husband and I intermingle ornamentals and edibles.

Pencil-sized leeks punctuate our flower beds. Strawberries sprawl around our backyard rosebush. And our front yard is a riot of perennial herbs, including rosemary, lavender, catmint, thyme and sage. Recently joining the perennial party are two rhubarb plants that replaced annual (and somewhat accidental) chard and cabbage.

Watching the rhubarb leaf out and establish itself is a painfully satisfying sight. Painful because rhubarb shouldn’t be cut in its first year to allow it to establish a strong root system and build up energy stores for the years ahead. Fortunately, my locally owned grocer is a reliable source of high-quality rhubarb, and I buy it as long as it’s fresh in season.

Rhubarb is a specialty of the Pacific Northwest, where the wet climate and wintertime temperatures around 40 degrees make for reliable commercial production. For that reason, Oregon and Washington supply almost all of the country’s field-grown rhubarb. When the first flush of late April and May has passed, rhubarb fans can look forward to a second rhubarb harvest from late June into July.

That’s plenty of time to explore the sweet — and savory — possibilities of rhubarb. While most casual cooks tend to think of rhubarb as an ingredient for pies, syrups or sweet preserves, I gravitate more and more toward roasting rhubarb and incorporating it in main-dish salads or pilafs. Its natural pucker suits rhubarb to pickling and consuming as a stunningly bright condiment or salad component.

Roasting or pickling rhubarb for salads plays up nutrients

Roasting or quickly sautéing rhubarb brings out just a hint of sweetness in the notoriously sour stalks and softens rhubarb’s tough fibers into submission. It’s easy to overcook rhubarb, however, so watch it in the oven or on the stove to ensure the slices retain their shape. In just a couple of minutes, rhubarb can go from meltingly tender to baby food mush.

My favorite savory rhubarb preparation to date riffs on the restaurant mainstay of roasted beets and soft goat cheese. The addition of roasted rhubarb provides a tart foil for the earthy roots and lighter canvas for the rich chevre. Balsamic vinaigrette is my go-to dressing for this duo.

The following recipe replaces beets with rhubarb, but I love pairing the two, particularly with golden beets for color contrast. And I add more heft to the salad with cooked white beans. If I don’t have goat cheese, good-quality canned tuna or sardines in olive oil add richness.

Forgoing the sugar on rhubarb plays up the plant’s health benefits. High in vitamins C and K, rhubarb also is a good source of dietary fiber and one of nature’s top plant sources of calcium. It’s little wonder rhubarb was used for at least 1,000 years medicinally before it was embraced as a food, particularly during cold weather when little other fresh produce was available.

If you lack just the right inspiration for a bundle of rhubarb, don’t worry about rushing to prepare it. Stored in a plastic bag, rhubarb will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to three weeks; it also can be cut up and frozen for as long as a year. (Freeze individual pieces separately on a tray before placing them in a bag to keep them loose.)

Or make a quick pickle with sliced rhubarb, such as the one in the second recipe, and store in a jar in the fridge until you’re ready to toss rhubarb into your salad or onto your charcuterie plate.

Roasted Rhubarb Salad

8 ounces rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons maple syrup, or to taste
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoon thinly sliced shallot
2 teaspoons minced, fresh tarragon
1 pound watercress or spinach, tough stems removed
1/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts
3 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Toss together the rhubarb, syrup and 1 teaspoon of the oil. Spread mixture on prepared baking sheet and roast in preheated oven until rhubarb is tender, for 7 to 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven and set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt, shallot and tarragon. Whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons of oil.

In a large bowl, combine the watercress or spinach, the walnuts and rhubarb. Gently toss in the goat cheese and dressing.

Makes 6 servings.

Confetti Salad of Kale and Rhubarb

1 cup rhubarb, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 bunch (12 to 15 leaves) lacinato kale (also called dinosaur kale)
3 tablespoons walnut oil
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 ounces aged Gouda, cut into fat matchsticks (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs, preferably sourdough
1/2 cup candied walnuts (recipe follows), roughly chopped

Place the rhubarb in a shallow, heat-proof bowl. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, the 1/2 teaspoon salt and mustard seeds; bring to a boil and cook until sugar dissolves. Pour mixture over rhubarb and let sit at room temperature for at least 3 hours before using. Pickles’ flavor improves if refrigerated overnight. Any leftover pickling liquid can be refrigerated for future use.

To make salad, remove center rib from the kale leaves, stack several pieces, then slice crosswise into a fine julienne. You should end up with about 5 cups. Rinse kale and pat dry between paper towels or use a salad spinner.

Drain rhubarb from pickling liquid, but reserve liquid for vinaigrette. Whisk together 3 tablespoons pickling liquid and the walnut oil. Season with a hefty pinch of salt and the pepper to taste. Toss kale with dressing, then gently fold in the cheese and drained rhubarb. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes so kale softens a bit; it can chill for up to 3 hours.

Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add the breadcrumbs, stirring to coat. Cook, stirring, until crumbs are golden and crisp. Set aside.

Before serving, toss salad again, add breadcrumbs and the walnuts; toss once more.

Makes 6 servings.

CANDIED WALNUTS: Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet and set aside. Combine 1/4 cup water and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add 1 cup walnut halves and continue to stir for about 5 minutes, until mixture begins to thicken. Pour out onto parchment paper, separating walnuts with a fork. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cool completely. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to a month.