Rhubarb, featured flavor of humble pie, is trending. Have you seen the selfies? Cray-cray.
Credit Julie Jones, British home baker, who posts tarts of astounding complexity (Instagram: julie _ jonesuk). Checkerboard. Stripes. Parquet. Looping floral bouquets. From rhubarb!
Inspired, I shaved some stalks into paper-thin ribbons and wove them into a pale pink lattice. Stunning. In the oven, it toasted to tatters. Chastened, I followed an actual recipe, carving tiny pink and white bricks and working them into a stair-step mosaic.
During my long night of setting tile, I learned some things. 1) British bakers have access to "forced" rhubarb _ grown in the dark, harvested by candlelight and shockingly pink _ even when baked. 2) We don't.
I also discovered _ again! _ that I'm not the T-square type. I'm good with rhubarb that looks like rhubarb _ and tastes like nothing but spring.
