What to Do With Your Share---Week 1

Welcome, and welcome back to everyone. We are happy to be starting the 2014 season and beginning the harvest. We have been busy seeding, planting, irrigating, cultivating, row covering and mulching this season's crops, and now is the time to eat. We are looking forward to a good season.

The bad news this spring is that the leeks did not fare the winter well and we do not have enough for everyone. The good news is that we finally had some of our rhubarb plants produce and we are having it as a choice. Someday we plan on having enough of both for everyone.

The leeks did not survive the winter nights, as 27 were in the single digits and 9 were subzero. A tough end of the season after a hot and dry summer. They were double-whammied.

The rhubarb has also faced more than one scorching summer, not ideal for a plant that thrives in Anchorage. But this year it came up well in the cool spring and we have a chance to enjoy it. One easy way to do that is to make a rhubarb crisp. This is a simple and somewhat old-fashioned dish that can’t be beat when you have fresh rhubarb. It is also a great way to get acquainted with its taste.

Rhubarb Crisp

Ingredients

3/4 lb	chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup	evaporated cane juice or sugar
2 tsp	lemon zest
Juice of 1	lemon
1/3 cup	butter, chilled
1/2 cup	flour
1/2 cup	brown sugar
1/2 cup	oatmeal
1 tsp	cinnamon
1/2 tsp	freshly grated nutmeg

What to Do

° Preheat oven to 375 degrees

° Chop the rhubarb into 1/2-inch pieces. Mix with the sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice and set aside for 10 minutes to an hour to macerate.

° Mix butter, flour and brown sugar until lumpy. Add oats, cinnamon and nutmeg.

° Pour rhubarb into a buttered baking dish. Add half of the flour/butter/brown sugar mix and stir. Pour the other half over the top.

° Bake for 45 minutes or until bubbling and browned.