Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Years ago, when my now-grown daughter Justine was a toddler, we visited a U-pick farm where she plucked plump, ripe strawberries from a field of sprawling plants. Some made it into the basket on that sunny June day; others went directly into her mouth.
That's when she learned that June is for strawberries. It's for roses, too, which makes sense when you consider that both plants are members of the Rosacea family.
And, as I learned at the farm that day, June is also for rhubarb, which I had never seen before.
Following the lead of other strawberry pickers waiting to pay for their loot, I added a bunch of rhubarb to my cart, wondering aloud what I would do with it. My fellow shoppers educated me about pies and jams, so I went home with a mission to prepare and learn how to grow the alien, red, celery-like stalks.
I've since learned that rhubarb is a popular June harvest in New England and some north-central and Midwestern states, where strawberry-rhubarb pie reigns supreme. It's not quite as uncommon in my New York home as it was all those years ago, but I would hardly call it a staple.
The good news is that for those who have difficulty finding it at the supermarket -- or simply want to grow their own -- adding rhubarb to the garden is a worthwhile enendeavouralbeit one that requires patience.
Perennial in horticultural zones 3-8, rhubarb can be expected to return and produce for up to 10 years. Plant their crowns, which are bare-roots, in fall or in spring when the weather is still cool. They will spread, so give them room by setting them 3-4 feet apart in similarly spaced rows. Bury their buds, or "eyes," 2 inches below the soil line, ensuring they face upward in compost-enriched soil.
Keep plants well-watered and, when the weather warms up, apply 2 inches of mulch to retain moisture, discourage weeds and regulate soil temperature. Then apply a slow-release, balanced fertilizer with a 10-10-10 ratio of nutrients.
Do not harvest any stalks during rhubarb's first year in your garden. Doing so would imperil the plant's longevity. But remove flowers and their stems so the plant can channel its energy into root growth instead of seed production. Replenish mulch in late fall, after temperatures drop.
You can start harvesting -- sparingly -- in the plant's second year, removing no more than four stalks per plant when they are red (unless you're growing a pink or green variety) and between 12-18 inches long. Taking more would risk sapping the plant of energy, which would reduce future output, so practice restraint.
You may harvest freely during and after the third year, but never remove more than two-thirds of a single plant.
Rhubarb leaves are poisonous, so remove and discard them before slicing the stalks into 1-inch pieces for cooking.
I repeat: Do not eat the leaves.
Admittedly, I was skeptical after my first tasting of a raw, sour-bitter rhubarb stalk all those years ago. But, with my mouth still puckered and fingers crossed, I went ahead and added chunks of it to my strawberry pie filling. The pie was delicious, of course; its sweet berries offset and perfectly complemented by the acidic tang of the rhubarb. I was an instant -- and astonished -- convert.
The vegetable, regarded as a fruit just as tomatoes are fruits commonly regarded as vegetables, isn't a one-trick pony, either. It works equally well in jams, relish, muffins and even simmered for 10 minutes, then blended with fruit into smoothies. Try roasting, stewing, sauteing and serving over ice cream, or adding it to apple sauce recipes. Just don't forget the sweetener.
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Golf is a sign of spring and summer and a major driver for seasonal tourism, experts say.
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
The erstwhile group of senators and MPs studying the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act over the "Freedom Convoy" was supposed to present its findings in December. December of 2022, that is.
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.