Rhubarb Season

Rhubarb always reminds me of my Grandpa Lachmayer. He had a big patch behind his house and all the grandkids loved to get a handful of sugar from Grandma and a stalk of rhubarb from him and then crunch away at the tangy treat. The less sugar you used the more macho you were (not that we had ever heard of macho at that point in time.) Later when I became a semi, sorta adult style person I took him pick-up truck loads of well composted horse manure to make it grow better. You would have thought I was bringing him solid gold by his reaction and I had plenty to spare.




Now the house, the patch, and the dear grandparents are all gone. (Although I have a picture of grandpa on my kitchen wall and I know he watches me from it...I can feel it. So I talk to him in my mind all the time.)




The rhubarb lives on, though, in family patches at several homes. All but one plant of my bed came from his stock and I know my mom has some.

Rhubarb Crisp

3 cups diced rhubarb
1 cup granular sugar
3 T flour
1 1/2 t cinnamon

*** combine and spread in lightly greased baking dish

Topping

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 t cinnamon

***combine until crumbly and spread over base

***Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 45 minutes. I have had this recipe for way over twenty years and I take great liberties with it as to amounts of ingredients. (It is very forgiving.) In fact I generally just cut up enough rhubarb to fill my biggest baking dish...certainly more than three cups and then cobble up enough topping to cover it. Cinnamon I just dump in. I like it...how can I go wrong with lots? I froze four cups for winter use too and I think I am going to try making rhubarb jam. I found a recipe that sounds good and we have a pretty good amount left so......