First Harvest

I suppose if you want to be exact, the first fresh thing we ate this year that grew here on our ground would be the wild garlic tops that are abundant in our lawn in early spring and which Tobin and Shav picked freely to munch on as desired.  It left them with quite a case of garlic breath, but was probably extremely healthy; and I wouldn't deny them the pleasure of eating that stuff...but don't expect me to pick a handful and start grazing.  ;-)

The second thing eaten fresh around here would be dandelion leaves.  When the boys heard that some people use dandelion leaves for salads, they wanted to try it, too; and again, that was fine with me, although my memories of dandelion salad from when I was a little girl are anything but pleasant.  (I think I remember a bitterness to the taste?)

I'd have to ask Jeff, but maybe he has already used some fresh cilantro that springs up abundantly in our garden, or maybe he's chopped some new green onions from our garden for his ever-present salsa bowl?

All of that aside, the first thing that I harvested from this ground and used this year to feed my family was...

...can you guess?...

...RHUBARB!  :)

I was thrilled when Dad said the rhubarb is ready, and yesterday evening I was determined to make something with rhubarb that even my skeptical kids would like.  (They were willing to eat dandelion leaves straight from the yard, but they didn't want to eat rhubarb?  Makes no sense to me!)  ;-)  So I made this...

 Ah, yes.  A good old-fashioned rhubarb crisp.  Because as Jeff said last night while he spooned mouthfuls of crisp and ice cream into his mouth, if you add enough brown sugar, butter, and oats, anything tastes good!  :)

My strategy worked.  My kids liked the crisp, and now when I make other things with rhubarb, I'll be able to say, "Remember how much you liked rhubarb crisp?  I bet you'll love this, too!"  :)

Also of note: Tobin made a potholder last evening.

  We think it's the first time he's made a potholder himself, start to finish (although I did help him take it off the loom and finish the ends, because two sets of hands are better than one when it comes to that task.).

 He was pleased as punch.  (And would you just look at that adorable belly button sticking out there?!)

Maybe the next time I make this...

...I'll use Tobin's potholder to take it out of the oven.  :)