Two firsts this week.
One involves Rhubarb – the other Yoga.
In the Rhubarb
I’ve got some lovely organic rhubarb growing near the front of the house. I moved it up into the sun this year and it’s a lot happier than when it was in the partial shade of the backyard.
I was a bit stumped though. The stalks look the right size for picking, but the rhubarb hasn’t turned red, other than a bit at the base. After reading about rhubarb online, apparently this isn’t that unusual.
So, I decided I should make a pie with some of that lovely rhubarb.
Problem is, I’ve never made a pie from scratch before.
No better time than now to try.
EB pointed me to a baking powder pie dough recipe.
Things didn’t start well.
I screwed up the directions. Step 2 says “place 1/2 cup of flour mixture in a small bowl, and stir in water until smooth”. I read it as “place 1/2 the flour mixture…”. Much panic ensued – on my part. After EB talked me down the the scary place, I continued on.
I can’t say the pie crust was a piece of art, there was substantial patching required after I placed it in the pie dish, but I feel this simply adds character…
Now for the rhubarb.
When I was a kid, the rhubarb grew near the ditch in the corner of my grandmother’s garden. Neglected, and occasionally assaulted by the neighbours riding lawn mower, it never failed to produce pounds and pounds of rich red stalks. We’d cut them, pour some white sugar into a bowl, and dip+munch our way through 2 or 3 stalks at a sitting. My mom and all my aunts made rhubarb pie off those plants, and I loved the tart taste of those red summer pies.
I knew going in that my pie wasn’t going to be red. It may be green, but that rhubarb smells and tastes right, so onward.
I found a couple of different recipes, but opted for the simplest of the lot since it seemed closest to what my relatives made (though I’ve got to try this Amish Rhubarb Pie Recipe next).
With the plant just a few feet outside the door, I was able to harvest-t0-measure. Six stalks turned into a tidy 4 cups of chopped rhubarb.
60 minutes later – the pie came out of the oven, looking and smelling pretty darned good.
We let it cool, and later than evening GB and I enjoyed the most amazing Rhubarb Pie EVER ! I was so relieved it actually tasted good I think I drove the entire family crazy showing them the pie. “Look Look ! and it tastes GOOD!”
GB’s the only one in the family who likes rhubarb pie – so we’ve each had plenty of this lovely vegetable pie.
Did You Say Yoga ?
EB’s been very persuasive about getting me to try yoga.
For one, she looks darned hot in her little yoga outfit, and she’s always pretty relaxed when she comes back, her cute little mat under her arm.
So, today, I tagged along, hoping I wouldn’t feel too intimated by the whole thing.
OMG.
It was fantastic.
We were at the Body Harmony Yoga studio in North Vancouver, and all my fears were put to rest the moment I took off my shoes and got down on my (rented) mat.
And here’s the thing.
You have to absolutely LOVE any kind of exercise routine that ends, after an hour, with a little lie down complete with blanket.
I mean, where’s this been hiding my whole life ?
I’ll be heading back in a couple of days.
But right now I’m trying to perfect Downward Dog with Rhubarb Pie…
First, canning and NOW baking your own organic pies? and YOGA on top of it all???? Um. Wow!
You did inspire me to start talking about my lofty plans to host a big ol’ canning party next year. In fact, at a meeting last night, I got some canning “experts” to commit to canning with me next year!
But I am most impressed by your yoga venture. I’ve tried yoga (abeit unsuccessfully.) I guess I need a yoga class for people who aren’t bendy. In any event, I am so impressed.
I bow in the shadow of your bravery!!
Bendy ? Not me. I wonder if it’s the level of yoga that’s the issue, and not your bendy/not/ness .
The class EB took me to was Gentle Hatha and while it was gentle, I’m feeling it today (in a good way).
come on over to the north shore and join us sometime!
P.S. Will the canning party involve any martini ?
If Mister Man has anything to do with it, the canning party will INDEED involve MANY martinis! As we are already on the north shore, I’m thinking that you and EB will have to come and lend your wisdom when we take on canning in 2010. (Personally, I’m interested in canning white nectarines next year. I mean if there’s any way to capture that brilliant flavour and enjoy it in the middle of winter when the world is grey and dreary… bring it ON I say!)
You will laugh when you discover that the kind of yoga I have attempted in the past is Bikram’s Yoga. (Which for some inexplicable reason, I kept up for about 3 whole weeks). And I’m sorry, putting a chubby Newfoundlander in a 104 degree room with a bunch of skinny, bendy people decked out from head to toe in matching lululemon is torture. The only reason I *kind of* liked it, was that I felt relieved to still be alive at the end of the 90 minute class. I also did a yoga class that involved chanting (I think that was Kundalini Yoga). This too was great, until I realized that I wasn’t interested in the yoga at all, I was interested in the singing/chanting, which led me to believe that I needed a choir, not a yoga class at all!
I’m afraid I may be a lost cause! (or maybe I’m just plum afraid… ) Seriously, you are probably a PRETZEL compared to me! I have strong tree trunk legs with disproportionately short ligaments and ham strings. I may be a marvel of modern medical science, in fact. That being said, I did perk up a bit at the appearance of the word “gentle” in the name of your class…. I must ask – was there chanting?
No chanting, other than a nice simple 3 word affirmation at the end (which I’ve completely forgotten). But you could chant in your HEAD I”m sure…
pish pish lululemon – it’s become chic street wear in Vancouver, hasn’t it ? You have to change OUT of your lululemon clothes to do yoga now…
I wore: 15 year old sweat pants. 13 year old tie-dye t shirt. and was the coolest person there (in my mind, where it counts).
Just for you, I”ll do some chanting next time I’m there, the only problem is the only chant I know is one we made up for sailing – a call/answer thing you would see in a marine corp training movie with evil drill sarg breaking the rookie marines…
I’ve been sailing all day long
Haven’t turned the motor on
Hoist the main and ease the fore
I ain’t going home no more
(then you make up the rest of the verses…)