Rhubarb Buttermilk Bread

Rhubarb? Honestly, I didn't know this vegetable existed until a few years ago. But seeing these intensely red-colored stalks in my supermarket yesterday made me want to try making SOMETHING with them.
I found the perfect recipe at Eating Out Loud

For the Bread:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk (I didn't have any, so made a make-do version by mixing two tablespoons of yogurt with 1/2 cup of water)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon pwdr
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup diced rhubarb (I cut these about 1/2" in size)
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Topping
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 tsp butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix all the ingredients for the bread together. Grease a loaf pan well and pour the batter into it. In a separate bowl, combine the topping ingredients to for a rough mixture. Sprinkle this onto the bread batter. (I left out the topping in the interests of making this bread a little healthier and it still tasted great). Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes.

This bread is one of the best I have tasted. The rhubarb is wonderfully tart, and is a perfect combination with the sweetness of the bread!