Berry Land Cafe Cookbook Celebrates Rhubarb Pies

In Sumner, rhubarb's the word.

As preparations continue for the city's inaugural Rhubarb Daze Festival, the  on Main Street is cooking up an all-rhubarb cookbook full of recipes contributed by local residents. The cafe also plans to feature more recipes using rhubarb than ever before.

Sumner, whose city slogan proclaims it to be the Rhubarb Pie Capital of the World, will celebrate the versatile, red-stalked vegetable at its first Rhubarb Daze Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 8-9. 

“We use it all year long,” said Lola Burshie, owner of the Berry Land Cafe. “All of our jam is made with rhubarb.”

Community members are invited to bring their rhubarb recipes to Berry Land Cafe, or submit them, with their names, to info@koolideas.com before June 1.

Burshie said she has already received quite a few recipes. At $10, the cookbook will be affordable, she said, and will be sold year-round.

“The cookbook is just one thing,” Burshie said. “We also plan on selling pie, jam, ice cream with rhubarb sauce and strawberry rhubarb shortcake.”

Although Burshie does not expect the cookbook to make millions, or for the festival to attract much initial attention, she is already thinking about the future.

“I’m hoping that next year, our festival will be bigger and better," she said.