Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Snaps!

We have been busy as bees:
Our plants are happily growing at our site on California St.
Prepping the "pizza garden" at the Gifford Park Community Garden!
After a long day's work
Rain barrels!

And here are some other shots from our adventures throughout the city:
 Working on the beds
 Plants growing
 and growing
 and growing!
 and going to the market!
And a sweet little treat, from Mother Nature

Special thanks to Chris Foster of the Gifford Park Neighborhood Association for taking some of these!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Spring eats: Rhubarb

I grew up not liking rhubarb too much. As a kid, the tangy-tartness so characteristic of this springtime treat, was not on the top of my list for favorite flavors. But ask me today if I'd like some rhubarb, and I'd be crazy to say no! I have really grown to love its versatile flavor that pairs well with sweet strawberries or savory spices. Better yet, rhubarb is a perennial crop that produces more and more each year, and has a lengthy spring season with multiple harvests.


The recipe that turned me onto rhubarb was my mom's Rhubarb Cream Pie; the ultimate spring treat! My grandpa has a pretty large rhubarb patch at his farm and conveniently lives adjacent to a pick-your-own strawberry farm, lending itself to many a tasty mom-made pie.
Momma Clark's Rhubarb Custard Pie
Beat slightly 3 eggs

Add 2 2/3 T milkmix together and stir in 2 cup sugar4 T flour3/4 t nutmeg

Mix in 4 cups of cut-up pink rhubarb. Pour into a pie crust. Dot filling in pie pan with 1T butter and cover with thin lattice. Bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes! Enjoy with friends Another tasty dessert option:Rhubarb cake
1 cup sour milk (1T vinegar + milk to make 1 c--use whole milk)1 t vanilla1 1/2 cup raw rhubarb--cut fine1/2 cup butter or margarine1 1/2 cup brown sugar1 egg2 cups flour1/2 t salt1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon1/4 cup sugar Cream butter and brown sugar and stir in egg. Stir in dry ingredients. Then, add sour milk & vanilla, then rhubarb. Pour batter into a 9 x 13 pan & sprinkle cinnamon & sugar mixture over top.Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.




Other ideas for your rhubarb:
You can freeze it, can it, pickle it!


Happy spring eating,
Ali