Tierra Vegetables-purveyors of the very finest! Lee and Wayne James, a brother and sister team, operate an unusual 15-acre farm in Healdsburg, 70 miles north of San Francisco. While most of their farm is devoted to market garden vegetables and to a small vineyard, their true love lies in growing chiles. 20 varieties they sell fresh, dried or smoked. They also sell 15 varieties of fresh sweet peppers and sweet chiles. They also raise a small flock of Shetland sheep! Tierra Vegetables-purveyors of the very finest



Crumb Topped Rhubarb
adapted from allrecipes.com, thanks to Lisa for giving it to me

3 - 4 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb
1 Tbsp flour
1/3 - 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
TOPPING:
6 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 quick-cooking or rolled oats
6 Tbsp butter or margarine, softened
Chopped walnuts or other nuts to taste
DIRECTIONS:
In a mixing bowl, combine rhubarb, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Spoon into a greased 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Set aside.

Combine flour, brown sugar and oats, Cut in butter until crumbly. Add chopped walnuts. Sprinkle over rhubarb mixture.* Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Serve topped with nice vanilla ice cream if you are so inclined.
* When I’ve done this I save part of this mixture for another crumble as it makes a lot.

Chicken Smothered in Rhubarb

by Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients
3 1/2 pound chicken, cut into 10 serving pieces
Essence, recipe follows
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound rhubarb, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, julienned
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 bay leaf
Fresh thyme sprigs
1 cup white wine
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Garnish: 2 cups cooked white rice, warm, 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Directions
In a mixing bowl, toss the chickens with Essence and flour. In a large heavy pot, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, brown the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes on each side. Add the rhubarb and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Stirring constantly, wilt and brown the onions, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any brown particles, for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, herbs and wine, cover and reduce the heat. Stir occasionally and cook for about 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Stir in the parsley. Arrange the chicken on a platter and garnish with Essence and parsley and serve with rice.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Blackberry-Rhubarb Cobbler
Submitted by rhubarb-loving customer, Pam Kind


Filling:
4 cups Tierra Vegetables rhubarb, cut into ½” pieces
2 cups blackberries
1 cup sugar (or to taste)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Shortcake Topping:
1½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1½ tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into ½” pieces
⅔ cup milk

Preheat oven to 400°

Make the filling:
Combine cornstarch and ¾ cup sugar with rhubarb in a large bowl and let macerate for about 10 mins. until juicy. Add cardamom and vanilla, and mix thoroughly. Dump into an 8x12 (or similar size) baking dish. Toss blackberries on top, then sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup sugar and set aside.

Make the shortcake dough:
Mix together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until it resembles very coarse meal. Add milk and stir until a sticky dough forms. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto the fruit, spreading out to cover, but leaving gaps here and there.

Bake approx. 45 mins or until top is nicely browned and juice is bubbling. If the top begins to brown too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil until finished.

Let cool for 15 mins. then serve as-is….or better yet, with ice cream, whipped cream, crème fraiche….etc. YUM!!!