Gardening

We were finally able to put our garden, right before it rained!  So it was pretty good timing.  We will still wait a couple of weeks before we put in the plants that we started inside.  The nights are still getting pretty cold, and you just never know with this crazy Montana weather what it's going to do.  I will say that we will have a plethora of hubbard squash and spaghetti squash.  That's okay since it freezes quite well.
It's amazing after that last snow storm how much things have greened up and and started growing!  My chives are going crazy.  I have some flowers ready to bloom and my poppy is getting huge.  I finally looked out back the other day and checked out the rhubarb.  It is growing like crazy and was going to seed all over the place, so I picked a lot the other day.  I have bags and bags of it.  Still have some leftover from last year.  I'm always looking for new rhubarb recipes since I don't really care for it and Tim loves it.  I found this recipe online; though I'd share it with you.

Rhubarb Custard Dessert
Crust
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed

Filling

8 cups diced rhubarb

Custard

6 egg yolks (whites are used in the meringue)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk or cream
1/2 cup flour

Meringue

6 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar (2 tsp at a time)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1  Preheat oven to 350; butter a 13x9 pan.

2  Cream butter with flours and sugar, spread in prepared pan, pressing into corners and bottom; bake for 5-10 minutes (it will get bubbly--sort of).

3  While that is cooking, cut up the rhubarb.

4  In a blender or a mixer bowl, beat eggs until foamy and fluffy, add sugar and continue mixing, then add other ingredients until thick and rich; set aside (rewhip right before pouring into pan with rhubarb).

5  When crust is baked, spread rhubarb pieces evenly (press lightly into crust--lightly!); pour custard over rhubarb; return pan to the oven for 45 minutes (knife poked in middle comes out clean).

6  While THAT is cooking, prepare meringue; beat eggs until forming soft (firm) peaks, adding sugar 2 teaspoons at a time, then salt and vanilla last, mixing until stiff.

7  At end of baking time, remove pan from oven, turn heat up to broil; spread meringue over rhubarb/custard, smooth with a spoon into pretty swirls. Broil until meringue is lightly browned.