Rhubarb!!!

Two of my recent FAVORITES came together this weekend...the beginning of rhubarb season and the Minneapolis Farmer's Market!  I have a LONG history with rhubarb.  One of my earliest memories is sneaking into my neighbor's yard in Chariton, Iowa, and stealing stalks of the stuff, then running back to my yard and eating it...right there...no sugar...nothing sweet...just plain, sour, FABULOUS rhubarb (I think I remember this incident because I got my BUTT KICKED by my mom for stealing it!).

I love both (rhubarb and the farmer's market...not getting my butt kicked), and was able to snag some DANDY stalks at a little farm stand in the middle of the market yesterday.  Five stalks for a dollar seemed like QUITE a deal, so I bought three bundles, and have just finished mixing together and baking a RHUBARB CREAM PIE.

Duane and I found a couple of rhubarb pie recipes a few years back, when we were trying to use up a similar bunch, but none of them seemed quite right, so, we pulled a few ingredients from here, and a few directions from there, and came up with the following:
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RHUBARB CREAM PIE
1 ½ cups sugar
2 rounded tablespoons flour
pinch of salt
1 T. tapioca
1 cup Half & Half
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 GENEROUS cups rhubarb (cut into small pieces)
⅛ tsp. cinnamon
sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon for top of pie
Mix all ingredients together and put into pie crust.

Place top crust on filled pie. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and wrap edges with foil.

Bake at 450° for 15 minutes, then at 350° for 50 minutes or until crust is browned, removing foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.
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Here's hoping YOU are enjoying the bountiful rhubarb now popping up at farmer's markets, grocery stores, or in your very own yard!  Oh yeah...if your neighbor has rhubarb, please ASK before taking any...I'm just saying...!!!!