I dash into the grocery store to snatch up what is probably the last bunch of rhubarb in the entire state. It’s always the same. Midsummer days bring with them the memory of my mother-in-law’s sweet, tangy rhubarb custard pie with the lattice crust. But I always forget that rhubarb season comes in late spring. By now there is no rhubarb to be found anywhere, not even at the farm stands. But I did find this questionable pile in Hannaford, so I’ll grab it and do my best with it. My rhubarb pie obsession will not be denied.
Thank God it’s still there! I gather it into a produce bag and then remember that I want to marinate some chicken wings and serve Salad Nicoise when my granddaughter comes for dinner. It will be a cool and tasty supper on a hot summer night. I hunt down a can of anchovies for the salad and head for the checkout.
A young man of the gentlemanly variety is there to help me, and as I place the items on the counter, I decide to tease him a bit. “I’m so excited. I’m trying this new recipe with the rhubarb, anchovies and wings and I think it will be really terrific”
He gives me a strange look, as if to say, “Are you for real?”
I can’t keep a straight face. We laugh together. “Have a great day!” we tell each other, but we really mean it. And so it is.
