Farmers' Market Raspberry-Rhubarb Sauce

from the Farmers' Market in Tahoe City, California

via Mary Lonergan

makes 2 cups

1 pound rhubarb, trimmed and cut into inch-long pieces

1 basket raspberries (1 pint)

4 teaspoons tapioca (not the pearl variety)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)

Combine all ingredients but lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and stir. Cook until rhubarb is tender for 15 minutes, stirring often. The sauce should be slightly thick, red and glossy. If desired, add lemon juice and stir.

This works just as well with green rhubarb as with red. The sauce turns deep red in any case. We even used frozen rhubarb and frozen raspberries from Whole Foods. They worked just fine.

Quick, easy and delicious - especially good over vanilla ice cream and on French toast or pancakes.