Few things signal the advent of spring like spotting a pink-ribbon splash of rhubarb at the farmers market. Every year starting in April, my eyes twitch across market stalls and produce cases looking for that telltale color—and the second I spot it, I scoop up a bouquet.

With this season's first crop of rhubarb in hand, I wanted to go a different direction than the usual pies and crumbles. This take on an ice cream sundae combines fresh rhubarb roasted in honey and lemon—a process that deepens its beautiful color and develops a rich syrup—with a quick homemade almond granola and classic vanilla ice cream. I love that the components are made separately and can be easily thrown together for an individual treat or laid out for a festive self-serve spread at an outdoor shindig.

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Ingredients

1 lb rhubarb
1 lemon
1/2 cup honey, divided
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1/4 refined coconut oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 vanilla pod
nice maraschino cherries, optional
good vanilla ice cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Trim the ends of the rhubarb and cut on the bias into 1–2" pieces. Toss with 1/4 cup honey and the juice and zest of one lemon (be sure to zest the lemon before juicing it).

Roast in a small pan for 30 minutes, until the rhubarb is tender but not falling apart. I find that a quarter sheet pan is perfect for this—and I love having this smaller-than-standard size in my batterie de cuisine.

While the rhubarb roasts, mix up the granola. Combine 2 cups oats with 1 cup almonds in a medium mixing bowl. Mix in 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup coconut oil, warming them first if needed so that they combine easily.

Add 1/2 tsp kosher salt and scrape the seeds of one vanilla pod into the mix. If you don't have a vanilla pod, use 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly until everything is well combined and each piece of oat and almond is coated.

When the rhubarb is done, turn the oven down to 300°. Spread the granola mix onto a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Stir the granola, then gather it together and press it flat into a dense layer (this is the key to getting big chunks). Bake for another 10 minutes, until the mixture smells toasty but hasn't picked up much color. The granola will still be soft and sticky at this point—that's okay! Let it cool completely at room temperature so it can firm up, then break it into crispy pieces.

To assemble the sundae, scoop two generous scoops of vanilla ice cream into a bowl. You can also use yogurt if you're looking to make this into a nice breakfast moment. Crumble a small handful of granola over the ice cream and top with four or five pieces of rhubarb and a spoonful of their hot pink juices. Finish with a cherry, if you like.