Thanks for the photo comments. The picture is from 2006 and is the rhubarb remaining immediately after a harvest, where all the older stalks on the ground and at low angles have been pulled off. Slug bait pellets are used around this rhubarb on occasion. It is about time for harvest #2 this year. Local strawberries should be widely available by mid-month. Some U-pick notices are already in the paper. The Barn rhubarb is still on display during peach season when we visit.

It was a Washington Post recipe. I've put the link below. There is a very minor error - the ingredients list starts "for the filling" and then lists all the ingredients for the recipe. The first three ingredients are for the filling and the rest are for the dough. I think the dough would be good with a raspberry or blackberry filling too. Perhaps the sugar in the dough should be cut back a bit for that because the filling wouldn't be as tart. The funny thing is that once all my baking was done, I pulled some cookies from the freezer to assemble my shalach manot boxes (goodies to give to friends for Purim) and underneath them was a bag of cranberries that I'd put in the freezer in November. Arghh! And I'd though there were some in there and had looked but didn't think to pull up the cookies. I'll have to make the recipe with them sometime to see how close I came with the dried ones. Here is a link that might be useful: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2007/12/12/cranberry-oat-bars/

I know that I didn't post it, but this is the recipe I always use, from the 1973 "New" Pillsbury Family Cookbook. It was my 2nd cookbook out of college. My mom always called it "Frisch's Big Boy" strawberry pie. I don't do this in a saucepan over the stove; I use a 2-quart Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave. Strawberry Glace Pie 9-inch baked pastry shell 1-1/2 quarts (3 pints) strawberries, washed and hulled 1 cup sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1/2 cup water 1 tablespoon lemon juice Crush enough strawberries to make 1 cup. (Blender works well.) In saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add crushed strawberries and water; cook over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Blen in lemon juice. Cool. Add remaining whole or sliced strawberries to glace mixture and toss lightly just to coat berries; arrange in pie shell. Chill. Serve with whipped cream.

Bamia (sweet & sour okra) 1 lb small okra pods 2 tbls EVOO 1 tbls honey Salt & pepper to taste 1 tbls lime juice ½ cup water Wash okra and pat dry. Top and tail it, discarding any blemished or hard pods Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan and sauté okra 3-5 minutes, turning each pod once. Add the honey, salt, pepper, lemon juice and water. Cover, lower heat, and simmer 15 minutes, adding more water if necessary, until pods are tender. Source: Traditional Egyptian dish. Stewed Chickpeas & Okra 2 tbls oil 1 cup okra in ½-inch slices ½ cup chopped onion ½ cup chopped green pepper 1 can (14 ½ oz) diced tomatoes ¼ tsp oregano ¼ tsp ground cumin 1/8 tsp salt 1/8 tsp red pepper 1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas Heat oil over medium high heat in saucepan. Add the okra, onion, and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until softened. Stir in the tomatoes. Add the spices. Stir in the chickpeas, bring to boil, lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, ten minutes. Source: "Wholesome Harvest" Okra Crustini 12-15 okra, sliced 6 garlic cloves, minced 2-4 paste tomatoes, diced handful basil, chopped white wine salt & pepper to taste Olive oil French bread Diagonally cut French bread about 3/8 inch thick. Brush with olive oil and toast both sides, preferably over a charcoal fire; of in the broiler. Saute okra in olive oil, 3-4 minutes, then add garlic and continue cooking until garlic just turns golden. Add tomatoes and a dash of white wine. Add salt & pepper. When juices start to flow add the basil. Cook until tomatoes have fully softened and their juice combines with the okra. Pile the mixture on the toasted bread slices. Source: Original recipe. Bhindi Bharwan (Indian Stuffed Okra) 1 lb okra* 3 tbls oil 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 med onion, chopped 2 green chilies, seeded & chopped ¾ inch ginger, finely chopped 1 tomato, chopped stuffing: 3 tsp ground coriander 2 tsp ground tumeric 2 tsp ground fennel seed 2 tsp Amchur (dried mango powder) 1 tsp cayenne ½ tsp salt Cut the stalk off each okra pod and make a lengthwise slit. Combine stuffing ingredients and mix well. Stuff each pod with the mixture. Saute cumin with a little oil until it starts to crackle. Add onion, chilies, and ginger and sauté until the onion turns transparent. Add tomato and cook until it turns pulpy. Add the okra and cook for 5 minutes until tender and well coated with the sauce. Serve with rice. *Zucchini or other summer squash can be substituted. Source: "The Food of Asia"