Mother Nature can be very good and produce sunny, blue skies with a hint of a breeze or it an be downright nasty, as in the case of Fort McMurray.
The warm early spring with summer-like weather is producing garden stuff that normally does not appear until early in June.
It certainly was a treat to have the rain as the ground was becoming quite dry.
A good rain certainly will help the forests and the grasslands.
The premature summer certainly has gardens in this part of the country growing lovely flowers, herbs and vegetables.
I have some tasty tarragon that is now almost two feet tall, and too much oregano — better start harvesting some and dry them.
I do not have any rhubarb growing in my garden but some nice people gave us a bundle of this tasty vegetable.
For some reason I thought it was a fruit.
It is indeed a perennial vegetable, though generally is used like a fruit in desserts.
Although I can bake and have done so in the past but normally that is handled by the baker in our family.
Here is a recipe to make:
Rhubarb Lunar Cake
Cut 2 cups of rhubarb into fine pieces.
Cream 1/2 cup of butter with 1 1/2 cups white sugar.
Add 1 egg along with 1 tsp of vanilla, then beat.
Add in 2 cups of flour, with 1 tsp of baking soda along with 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder.
Pour in 1 cup of buttermilk and beat.
Stir in 2 cups rhubarb, then spread batter in a greased pan.
For the topping of this rhubarb cake stir together 1/4 cup of melted butter, 2 tsp of cinnamon and 1 cup of brown sugar.
Use a small spoon to scoop the topping over the cake and press into the cake batter with the tip of a spoon or your fingers.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.
A good vegetable rhubarb dessert right from Cariboo Gardens.
Happy Friday 13th to everyone.
Bye for now and Goood cooking.
Ken Wilson is a freelance columnist with the Tribune/Weekend Advisor.
