RHUBARB
It might not look like much, but the stalks provide a tangy sweetness unlike any other. It is a perfect addition to a strawberry pie, or a nice zesty chutney.
Trim the stalks, ditch the leaves, and you can harvest it all again. It is a nice, subtle addition to many dishes.
Better still, it grows wild and is easily harvested and cultivated.
Her mother was a big fan, and by default, so too was she. Still, there are risks.
Especially if you are harvesting it wild.
She remembers when she was young. Her mother had picked several stalks and mixed it in with some sugary strawberries. The stew was added to a fresh pastry shell, and soon enough the smell of baking filled their home.
And then it turned sour.
Like many plants and creatures in the wild, rhubarb had a look-alike.
The burrs that caught on her socks as a child grew on a plant not unlike the common rhubarb. That was what her mother had inadvertently harvested on that day.
Aside from the pesky seed balls, a major distinguisher between the two was the bitter taste of one and the sweet tang of the other.
That was a lesson she learned long ago, and one she would gladly pass along.
When it comes to rhubarb, only the real deal will do. Still, the other is good for a laugh whenever it comes up, and a laugh can go a long way.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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