M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Finally! There is hope for spring! Today the air was soft and warm again and I scampered outside to assess the progress of my garden before work and noticed that all the rhubarb crowns (I love calling them this) are pushing through the frozen ground, stretching up their tiny garnet arms and tightly compressed buds for anyone who cares to see them. (I always think of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ and Audrey II when I first see these …)
But this is the first genuine sign of spring and I am greatly heartened.
I understand (well actually, I don’t really understand ) but I hear, that there are those who are completely indifferent to rhubarb but to me, it’s a delicious taste that is easily overlooked and available for such a short season; and the colour alone! That clear, deep, jeweled pink unlike no other, is so beautiful, particularly when combined with strawberries.
And, speaking of strawberries, I have seen many confirmed rhubarb-haters change their minds rather quickly over a piece of lattice-topped rhubarb-strawberry pie with a scoop of ginger infused ice-cream or some English custard. (Or both, let’s be honest here!)
Rhubarb is actually enjoying a bit of a hipster-revival and is beyond exquisite when stewed simply and then stirred into plain yogurt, or topping a pound cake or made into divine chutney that can be dolloped onto mature cheddar. I’m just saying.
I’m actually very nostalgic about rhubarb; I remember twisting off a few stalks from a neighbour’s plant as a child and repeatedly stamping damp, frayed ends into my mother’s bone-china sugar-bowl so I that could conveniently enjoy the extremes of juicy sourness tempered with the sweet grittiness of the sugar. I then forgot of course and abandoned the sugar in the sandbox where the original feast had taken place.
(Unfortunately, my mother did not share in my pagan enthusiasm for snacking al fresco, especially when she had to retrieve the sugar bowl after a rainstorm … )
Really hoping that the snow is over now and that my scarlet rhubarb crowns will continue to thrive …
Again, we are one soul in two bodies….I ADORE rhubarb! And it is the very first thing to rear it’s head in the garden, and I go out and look for it every day from about the end of March until it happens….rhubarb crowns = spring! And stewed rhubarb with custard is the very best breakfast ever, ever. Just sayin’.