how to eat; and, what the heck is rhubarb?

I've been doing a lot of reading about food. It's a favorite topic for most Americans, but especially for Lepines, I've noticed. I've been reading about local, sustainable farming and organic yumminess. If I were a heartier sort, I'd be a farmer.

Recommended reading:

Absolutely first, The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. You will learn that everything Americans eat is made of modified corn products.

Second, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. As if writing one of the best novels of the last twenty years wasn't enough (The Poisonwood Bible), she had to follow up with one of the best nonfiction works. You will want to plant a garden.

Third, The Art of Simple Cooking by Alice Waters. Learn to cook seasonal, local produce deliciously.

Now that you are finished reading, support a local farm by Community Supported Agriculture. We've got a CSA share this summer from Oxbow Farm. Every Sunday we get a box full of veggies, half of which we've never seen or cooked with before. I'm learning to identify kale, chard, garlic scapes, parsley, beets, and radishes. And beginning to learn how to cook with them.

Today, I cooked rhubarb for the first time. I'd heard of rhubarb pie; but frankly, it never seemed like something one would choose when offered several flavors of pie. I'll take chocolate cream pie any day over something called rhu-barb.

It looks like the pink-striped cousin of celery and it tastes sour. It is a vegetable. Vegetables do not dessert pies make.

Or so I thought.

But when you add a lot of sugar and strawberries, it makes a very nice sweet-tart pie. Top with Breyer's vanilla.

The first pic is courtesy of wikipedia, since I neglected to photograph my rhubarb before cutting it.