When life gives you rhubarb, make pie

Rhubarb is so easy. Just plant it and it comes back year after year. Here's our rhubarb patch, it's three feet tall. Here are my two favorite recipes, sent by my mother and mother-in-law, several years ago.

Cream cheese rhubarb pie

Filling
¼ cup corn starch

1 cup sugar

½ tsp salt

½ cup water

2-1/2 cups rhubarb, cut in ½ inch pieces
(This makes too much. The idea is to have equal parts rhubarb and cheesecake. It's even better if there is a little more of the cheesecake topping on the pie.)

Topping

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 unbaked regular or graham cracker pie crust

In a 1 quart saucepan, combine first 3 ingredients, then the water and rhubarb. Bring to boil, stirring often until mixture thickens. Pour into pie shell and bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Protect edges of crust with aluminum foil. Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Meanwhile beat topping ingredients until smooth. Pour on top of pie. Bake for 35 minutes in 325 oven or until set. Chill and garnish with whipped cream, and sliced almonds or strawberries or blueberries, vanilla ice cream. I think vanilla ice cream the best.

Rhubarb Bars

3 cups rhubarb, chopped

1 ½ cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 ¼ cup water

3 Tablespoons corn starch

1 ½ cup rolled oats

1 ½ cup rolled flour

1 cup brown sugar

½ tsp. baking soda

1 cup butter

½ cup nuts

Combine rhubarb, sugar, vanilla, cornstarch and water. Cook on stove until thick, cool  slightly. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, soda, butter and nuts. Mix until crumbly. Put ¾ of mixture into 15 1/3 x 10 ½  jelly roll pan. Spread rhubarb mixture on top. Cover with remaining crumbs. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.