Rhubarb

Like a mad red brain
the involute rhubarb leaf
thinks its way up
through loam.

From "April Chores" by Jane Kenyon

Rhubarb is considered as hardy as a weed, so I don't know why I've had trouble getting a plant established over many years of trying. I planted this one last year (from a little root) and it's coming up strong so I might have finally hit on a place it likes, which is smack in the middle of a flower bed. Oh well.  It is a beautiful ornamental plant even if you don't eat it, with huge green leaves and pink or red stalks.

On the farm, rhubarb was one of the first things we ate from the garden, along with green onions and wild dandelion made into salad.  The simplest way to cook rhubarb is "stewed" with a generous amount of sugar. Rhubarb is an ancient plant and Chinese rhubarb has been traced back to 2700 BC. Of course it was used as medicine-- food is medicine in China.

The two pies that are well worth the effort of making from scratch (in my opinion) are peach and strawberry-rhubarb.   There won't be any pie making going on in this kitchen this morning because I'll be busy with chores and then I'm going to the dentist.  Not my idea of a perfect day, but there you go.  

Last night when I was coming upstairs after watching the new James Bond movie, a glass literally flew from my hand and shattered in a million pieces on the tile floor.  I swept, I vacuumed, I did my best and finally went to bed in a pretty bad mood.  In the morning light I was greeted by all the little shards I missed.  Where is that maid when I need her?