rooooooo-barb!

today’s adventure was a trip to a pick-your-own farm to get some rhubarb. i had an appointment at the farm at 11:00, so when i arrived, farmer chris was waiting for me.

(i love the smiley green pepper on his hat!) he took me out to the rhubarb patch

and gave me a quick tutorial on how to pick rhubarb (find a good leaf, follow it with your thumb all the way to the base, press down until it snaps off)

then, he generously lent me his pocketknife to remove the leaves and left me to my work.

i spent about an hour or so and got over 15 pounds of rhubarb (i’m not a fast picker)! i love the rhubarby smell of the cut stems.

on my way out, i had to get a shot of this beautiful woodpile:

and of the long, steep driveway:

once i got home, this is what 15 pounds of rhubarb looks like in the sink:

that’s a lot! i washed and chopped 16 cups (and i’ve maybe used half. maybe.)

added some sugar…

and some heat…

and in a short time, you get rhubarb sauce!

mmmm….. warm, bubbly, sweet, tart goodness.  why bother with pie crust when this stuff over ice cream is so much faster and easier (and much less butter)?  hopefully, i’ll have time to make another batch tomorrow and start canning it.  here’s what the rest of the rhubarb looks like on a fridge shelf:

poor mr. h-s thinks the house stinks.  he also commented that my bag full of rhubarb “didn’t look like that much.”  i think it’s plenty.  i may even be convinced to make a pie.  maybe.