Now is the Month of Maying (and Rhubarb)

At long last we have entered a period of warm days, abundant flowers, asparagus, and (yes!) rhubarb. The exuberance of Morley's madrigal is apt.  In keeping with long tradition in these parts, I planted our spring annuals, cleaned up the rest of the garden, and even gave the grass its first mowing of the season. Photos follow:

We've been gorging on asparagus (except for Isabel who for some reason always finds it bitter). Our favourite way to eat it? Cooked until tender, then cooled under running water and served at room temperature tossed in a lemon vinaigrette. The local rhubarb is in too, and we will of course be having rhubarb pie this weekend.

Rhubarb Pie

-one recipe for double crust oil pastry

-enough chopped rhubarb to mound in the pie plate (use scissors to cut, and remember that the fruit will       shrink when cooked

-about 1 1/4 c sugar mixed with 1/4 c flour

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix the rhubarb with the sugar and flour mixture and let sit while you make the pastry. Fill the bottom shell with the fruit, cover with the top pastry, prick some holes in it, crimp the edges, then place the whole thing on a cookie sheet in the oven (the juice will inevitably overflow and make a mess if you don't). Bake for 40-45 min or until golden brown. Cool to until just slightly warm. The juices will thicken as the pie cools. Serve with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Bliss!

What's happening with the knitting? Well, I've finished up the right half of Harriet's Jacket,

 

or maybe I haven't. I'm not happy with the fit at the underarm, so I'm knitting the left half with some modifications. If I like the result, then I'll go back and re-work the right half. I'm doing this in Elann's Peruvian Highland Chunky, colour "Tranquil Lagoon."

 

This swatch, done in seed stitch (I know, I know--there's no seed stitch in Harriet; this is for something else), is supposed to show you the lovely grey/blue with heathered flecks of red. I may try to find buttons in a reddish brown to highlight the undertones.