Yesterday when I looked out my back door, I could see that my rhubarb plants were up and growing. Today, unfortunately they are under a layer of snow. That is Spring!

Several years ago, an employee who worked for my son wanted to get rid of some rhubarb plants. She dug them up and brought them down. I had room for two plants. I planted them in a small bed by the windmill derrick.

For the past few years those plants have yielded enough to freeze and make pies and sauce for me. In years past, I depended on the rhubarb that grew at my daughter’s home for my supply.

When my children were small, we visited every Spring at the Larson’s home to get rhubarb. It was a huge patch that more than adequately met my needs. I cut it just like they used to. I used a paring knife and threw the leaves underneath the plants. The children used to grab a piece to eat while I was cutting it. Oh, it was sour, but they did not mind.

When I came home, I cut some up to throw into the freezer. It freezes easily. I mostly used that to make different flavors of sauce. Sometimes I mixed it with strawberry Jello. Sometimes I used a cinnamon stick. Sometimes I mixed it with orange juice. We all liked rhubarb in whatever form we had it.

I always made some pies. Sometimes I made a rhubarb cream pie. That was my first husband’s favorite. Sometimes I mixed a cup of strawberries with it to make a strawberry rhubarb pie. That is the way that Don liked it best. I liked both of them.

I also made some rhubarb rolls that were very good. One night when my daughter and her family were eating with me, I served the rhubarb rolls. After we ate, they left for home. While I was outside saying good-by, my dog, Hannah, got up in a chair and polished off all that were left. She was an eater. They did not make her sick either.

When I use rhubarb, I always feel like I am serving something healthy. There is no spray on my rhubarb. I do use sugar, but that is a must for rhubarb since it is very tart.

I am eyeing that rhubarb to make a strawberry rhubarb crisp that I just found a recipe for. Although it comes from one of my cookbooks, I have tweaked it to our taste. I never liked the kind with oatmeal, until I adjusted the recipe.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Put into a baking dish that fits in your microwave:

4 c. rhubarb cut into small pieces1 c. strawberries cut up

For crumble mix:

2/3 c. quick-cooking oats 2/3 c. white sugar

½ c. flour 1/3 c. butter, softened

¾ tsp. cinnamon

Place crumble on top of strawberries and rhubarb. Bake in microwave 7 – 10 minutes. It all depends on the power of your microwave. I usually cook for about eight minutes.

Your dessert is done in a jiffy!

I found a new recipe that I hope to try. This one is not tested yet. I usually make a recipe as it is written, then tweak it to taste. If you want to try this one you are on your own.

Rhubarb Crumble Bars

2 c. rhubarb chopped1 c. strawberries

1 c sugar1 ½ c. flour

1 c. oats¾ c. melted butter

Mix rhubarb, and sugar – simmer into jam

Mix flour and oats for base and topping.

Layer base, filling and crumble. (Divide the crumble)

Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

I also make an easy rhubarb jam.

Rhubarb Jam

5 c. rhubarb 1 (3 oz.)pkg Jello

4 c, sugar

Cut rhubarb in /2 in. pieces. Mix with sugar. Cook over low heat until sugar dissolves and rhubarb is soft. Boil for 2 min. then remove from heat. Add Jello. Stir gently. Pour into sterilized jars. Top with two -piece lid and allow to seal.

I have used raspberry, cherry, strawberry, and blackberry Jello and they were all good.

If you think you do not like rhubarb, give one of these recipes a try. Rhubarb is a fruit that takes the taste of whatever fruit you use with it. If you want to make a pie and do not have enough fruit, put in rhubarb.

Now I pull the rhubarb when picking it. I read of this method in a garden book. It works. I still put the leaves under the plants. Using this method my rhubarb grew until October last year – no frost.

Ann Swanson writes from her home in Russell. Email her at hickoryheights1@verizon.net.