In the Rooh~barb!

  For the last couple of weeks we've been graced with amazing warm sunshine and beautiful weather.  Rick was able to get the crops all in before the end of the long weekend this year which if I looked into it I'm sure it would be some kind of record for us.  All of the spring tree blooms were gorgeous and lasting this year the magnolia's, crab apple's, flowering pear's, cherry tree's and eastern redbuds to name a few held onto their blooms for longer than usual because of the good weather.  As you know though all good things must come to an end and yesterday the rain and cold fronts came through. 

 Having spent the last couple of weeks outside in the garden preparing the beds for my own crops and topping up all the mulch in my other gardens.  I've decided to take advantage of a day I don't mind turning the oven on.  This leads us up to Springs first official 'fruit'~ Rhubarb! 

I grew up in Cottam and The Collards were an elderly couple that lived about six houses down from me on the corner of Hill St. and Fox St.  As kids we played over there a lot because they lived across the street from the Banfills (my best friends at the time) and Fred Collard had a great yard to play in.  There were various pieces of concrete statuary that you could use as your base for just about any game you could make up. 

 Why am I telling you this?

 I was about nine years old when Fred pulled a bunch of rhubarb from his garden ( he had an amazing vegetable garden and would often let us pick peas or beans from it) handed it to me and asked "Would your people eat this?" Well, I didn't know who my people were or what it was he gave me but I was sure as hell gonna go running down the road with my freshly picked leafy bouquet and give it to my mom to figure out who the people were and what this was.

  Flash forward to the events of this morning.......

 My inlaws have kept a couple of rows from what used to be Papa Jack and Gramma Tootie's vegetable garden.  What is so luscious and leafy at the end of it? 
That's right, Rhubarb! 

 Freshly picked tart stalked goodness! Rinsed off and ready for transformation!

My mother in law makes the most amazing Rhubarb Pie so I won't dare go there because why try what someone else has perfected. I instead will go the jam and possibly muffin route!

My reference guide from which I may or may not actually follow a recipe from.

so.......stay tuned......I'll let you know what I come up with...or perhaps this will give ya'll some time to pass some of your own recipes on to me.

..........to be continued......!