Abundant and in Season

We hit up the Saint Paul farmer's market on Saturday and despite the cold and rain the stalls were splashed with the bright greens of seedlings ready for planting, bunches of thin stalked asparagus, loaves of bread, cartons of eggs. It was good to see lots of other shoppers reaching eagerly for the first goods of spring. I couldn't help but grab multiple bunches of rhubarb, the red stalks of a vegetable that is so often made sweet.

As I considered what to do with my rhubarb, I was reminded of one of the tenets of eating locally. Eat lots of what is in season, enjoy it to the utmost because once it is gone you won't see it until next season. I'm rereading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver which chronicles her family's year of eating locally and it reminds me of the beauty of savoring and relishing what we have now for, in this northern climate, it won't last long. This also helps me to feel a little less greedy when I can't help but grab several bunches of whatever is abundant and new.

We had friends over for brunch on Sunday and I made short work of the rhubarb. I boiled and strained it into a sweet rhubarb syrup which can be mixed with seltzer for a not too sweet rhubarb soda. It also goes quite nicely mixed with some champagne.

I was going to make this rhubarb compote, but instead used it in a big crumb coffee cake. I'm still thinking about some other ways to use rhubarb, I'll have to go to the market and get some more while it lasts. What have you been enjoying that is abundant and in season?