Who likes Rhubarb? Whenever I see rhubarb, I think of a college friend and PwC colleague. He once told me that in stage productions, rhubarb is what everyone repeats over and over again to simulate a crowd murmuring. Or something like that. Maybe he was making it up or maybe I got the story wrong, but I always think of Kyle Marston when I see rhubarb.
I happen to like rhubarb, when mixed with a 5 lb. bag of sugar of course. My mom's strawberry rhubarb muffins are to-die-for. I make a pretty good rhubarb pie, I think I once made one for Bird, or am I crazy? This would have been the summer of 2000. Remember how much fun you had babysitting Taylor? I remember you reading Harry Potter, which Taylor has now read so many times all the bindings on all 6 hardcover books have broken. She has BIG plans for the summer releases of the movie and last book. The girl is obsessed. Anyway. That was also the summer of our "garden."
My dad was a great gardener. In the summers, we always had veggies and strawberries picked from our very own garden. I'm quite sure I rarely ate any of it, except for the strawberries. I am not a great gardener, I'm not even close to being a mediocre gardener. In fact, quite honestly, I suck at gardening. We tried that summer of 2000 in La Jolla, and got off to a great start. UCSD student housing had pretty nice plots for free and lots and lots of people had really nice gardens. The idea of fresh tomatoes and beans really appealed to me, but a garden takes a lot of work. I was working at PwC and Jerry was working at Raytheon and I was pregnant with Lydia. The last thing I wanted to do at the end of the day was just about anything, except fall asleep on the couch.
Lucky for us, we had Bird. It went something like this:
9pm at night
"Hey, Bird, could you please go water the garden?" "Thanks."
I'm sure to her it sounded more like this
"Go water the garden!"
Once Bird went home in August and we went on a mini-vacation, the garden, which up until this point was at least growing things that were green other than weeds, and everything in it died. I think we did manage to get some really yummy peaches off a peach tree that the previous gardeners, Blake and Maren Beazer, had planted.
So, now we live in Iowa, in the forest with lots of critters, mostly deer and rabbits, that would eat anything if we even tried to plant it. I have been determined to grow tomatoes in containers on my deck, but have managed to grow non-tomato producing tomato plants for the past 2 summers. I haven't given up yet.
But here's the best part! We have rhubarb growing on the edge of the yard by our woodpile. It's huge. And the deer and other wildlife must not care for the bitter-sour taste, because it's all there, not a nibble to be seen.
Our backyard is on the road to beautification after a few years of neglect on our part. Babies, dogs and husbands who travel don't make for getting much yard work done. But this is our big project for the summer. I think, anyway. So while weeding and cutting and mowing and raking, I discovered the rhubarb.
I'll serve rhubarb pie when you all come for dinner in my dining room.
5 comments:
MMM... Strawberry-rhubarb pie is one of my faves. I'm looking forward to having a yard and trying my hand at gardening next summer, too. Good luck with yours this year!
Rhubard upside down cake served hot out of the oven with ice cream is also the bomb!! I will have to get you that recipe...I love rhubarb!!
I LOVE rhubarb pie! I think I remember eating the one you made... whether you made it for me or bird, I don't remember. But I remember eating it, and loving it. Mmmmm... I also suck at gardening, so don't feel bad. I hope killing plants doesn't count as murder, because if it does, I'm going to hell. So let's hope not.
I'm pretty you make that pie for me and alyssa, mom made some too at some pointbut regarless rhurabrd is my favort8ive and i remember that garden now thhat yo mention it!!! I had forgeoten it until now, its funy hw you forget stuff until someone else birngs it up sand then you rememer it!!
Your mom's rhubarb strawberry muffins (served warm at Owen's baby blessing...yum) are a delight and a half. If she's ever bored (I know the woman has oodles of free time) tell her to ship us a box and to throw in some peanut butter cup cookies.
But seriously, good luck with the garden. I'm glad to hear that we're not the only ones with backyard identity crises. It's going to be a year or two before we can really get ours up to snuff. We have some drainage issues to handle before I can really plant a garden. And once I plant it I'm betting it will die. But I, for one, am going to try. Growing up in PA with the Amish selling us fruit and veggies door-to-door gave me and insatiable appetite for fresh anything in the summer. In fact, right now the one and only craving I have is for fresh peaches and watermelon. And tomatoes. And corn. Mmmmmmmmm...So yeah, good luck.
P.S. I think we're going to have a big "Birthday Party" for everyone at the reunion because Cameron is really concerned about having Gaby at his birthday party. I figure this is one way to get that done... Your thoughts?
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