I picked several pounds’ worth of mandarins and juiced them up today, and as I was doing so I remembered a dessert I used to make that was a variation on baklava for which you had to use the zest of a fresh organic orange.

The recipe specified organic, claiming that there were residues that affected the taste if the oranges used were not.

I was skeptical, but a friend was happy to share a few from his tree (this was before we had our own) and I tried it both ways and the grocery store oranges had a bitter aftertaste I had not expected. Huh. Al’s from his garden did not. Well then.

So here I was, running the little electric 1980s juicer that just keeps going and going and going, and I went and zested a bunch of them as long as I was using them. Because why not.

Now, Michelle and I love rhubarb strawberry pie and Richard will take his as straight strawberries, thank you, so when I saw rhubarb at the store I knew I had someone to split the calories with me.

Meaning, two pies were made today: she, a strawberry one for her daddy and I made the two-to-one rhubarb-intense version for us.

What’s that? she asked me, looking at the small plate on the counter.

The zest from a bunch of those oranges.

Throw them in. You don’t want just sugar and fruit, you want flavors. Spices. Add that teaspoon of cinnamon. Throw in that zest. Make it great.

Alright then!

We all had her strawberry pie for dessert. I had a small piece–I was saving room, and went for seconds with the rhubarb.

Huh, I wondered out loud after the first bite. It tastes like honey. But there’s no honey in there.

It smells like honey, Richard affirmed.

You want to try it?

But it was still rhubarb; thanks, but he did not.

To Michelle: You want a slice?

She will, for breakfast.

My sliver became a second sliver. This was really good.

But I am mystified: how does it taste like honey? I mean yes, I like orange honey and have some in my cabinet but none of it went into that pie. The only thing I did differently from any other rhubarb pie I’ve ever made was that organic homegrown orange zest. Huh.