09/25/2026
🥧 Week 39 | North Dakota — “Mom’s Rhubarb” Pie
Our America 250 pie journey heads to the northern plains this week!
North Dakota became a U.S. territory in 1861, but it was the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad in the 1870s that truly opened the floodgates, bringing waves of immigrants eager to farm the fertile land. Statehood followed in 1889. Known as “Roughrider Country,” North Dakota built its identity on agriculture first, and more recently on the 21st century oil boom that has reshaped its economy all over again. 🇺🇸
This week’s recipe was inspired by “Ritzy Rhubarb Secrets,” a cookbook compiled by the cooks of Litchville, North Dakota, and we chose it for its simplicity. Sweet and tangy, with Rachel adding a pinch of cardamom for a little extra warmth.
Rhubarb is seriously underrated by anyone who doesn’t live where it grows well, and honestly, it comes with a fun bit of confusion attached. It’s treated as a fruit for tariff purposes, classified botanically as a vegetable, and used almost entirely like a fruit in the kitchen. Just remember, only the stalks are edible. The leaves are toxic! But here’s what you really need to know: if you find rhubarb at the farmer’s market or grocery store, buy it. It makes absolutely delicious pie, and if you ask the cooks in Litchville, countless other things too. 🌱
Tag someone who needs to give rhubarb a chance! 🥧