sour celery.

I planted some rhubarb and asparagus a few weeks ago. Since I am very new onto the gardening scene, I had no idea what these looked like when you planted them.

They both came as a dried root in a bag - 3 to a package for rhubarb and 8 for the asparagus. (I'm down to 7, though, because I lost one while planting) The rhubarb was pretty easy to figure out - there was a shoot/point that I correctly assumed was to go face up. The same on the asparagus - I planted the spindly root pieces face down with the point facing up...I had to call Anthony to get confirmation that I was on the right track.
That, I am learning, is the hardest part of being an amateur gardener. People who have been doing this for years rely almost entirely on instinct. People like me who completely missed the period of their lives (growing up on a farm...sheesh) when they could have learned this stuff hands on, have to rely on books, practice and step-by-step website instructions. I'm sure an experienced gardener would find it humorous to see me outside double checking the instructions on the back of a package to make sure I have every detail correct. I'm still convincing myself I will get to where I'm running on "guts" someday.

Anyway, the rhubarb is starting to turn red at the point. This is a rated 'G' blog but I'm not gonna lie...it is very suggesting seeing a plant poke its way out of the ground. If you think I'm crazy for thinking that, read Michael Pollan's Second Nature. He has a hard time looking at some flowers without seeing lady parts.

It's hard to see from the picture but the small part that is turning red used to be brown two week ago and dried up. It's starting to form some color, which means it has now come to life. Pretty subtle in general but very exciting if you are looking for it. And if you want to eat a LOT of rhubarb this summer.

Some of you have probably only had rhubarb paired with strawberries in dessert and you are missing out. In Iowa, rhubarb grows everywhere - ditches, lawns, along the road, in fields - literally all over the place and it can get HUGE. When we were kids, if we saw rhubarb growing, we would just tear off a stalk and munch as we went along our way. I learned very recently that the leafy part and the roots are extremely toxic so you have to be careful to only eat the stalk.
I knew I wanted to plant rhubarb when I went to the grocery store a few years ago and paid an obscene price for a few stalks. It's a weed! When I go home, my dad has bags of it in the fridge! It's not a delicacy! At the farmer's market last summer, a lady was charging $5 for THREE STALKS! What?!?
Moving on from that tirade...
When I brought some (overpriced) rhubarb home, both Mark and my roommate at the time were really curious since none had tried it before. I took a bite like it was celery and they both followed suit. Except they spit theirs out immediately and looked at me with total disgust. Rhubarb, for others like them that don't know, is REALLY sour. It's like eating a red mulberry, for those that have done that. It's usually made in desserts because the sugar pairs down the extreme sourness of it. I think after that episode the only way I'm going to get people to try and love it is in dessert form. My mom makes the best rhubarb bars and paired with ice cream, they are delicious. They don't have strawberries in them so you can still taste some of the subtle sourness come through. I'll make some this summer for most of you but I'm hoping I can convert at least one person with strong taste buds to become a rhurbarb lover in it's natural state.