Memorial Day is the traditional weekend for harvesting rhubarb in the Northeast. Making a rhubarb pie in my household is a yearly late spring ritual that marks the unofficial beginning of summer. Even though rhubarb is a vegetable, it is used traditionally in pies, james, and sauces. But be warned: rhubarb's taste is not for everyone: it is very tart and requires a good amount of sugar (probably why it is so often used in desserts.)

My favorite rhubarb pie is my friend Kristina's Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Pie. (Strawberry's sweet / tart taste is a traditional companion of rhubarb.) Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Mix together 3 eggs, 3 tablespoons of milk, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, 1/4 cup of flour, 3 cups of chopped rhubarb, and 1 cup chopped strawberries. Once all the ingredients are mixed together add them to a pie crust and bake for 50-60 minutes until the crust turns golden brown. Now you can enjoy the taste of the unofficial start of summer.