When it came to cook it I had originally planned to make a rhubarb and apple crumble, but in the end I didn't want to dilute or cover up the mad pinkness of it all. So I made plain, stewed rhubarb with the juice of a blood orange. The blood oranges are very sweet and the early rhubarb is not particularly sour so you don't need any additional sugar for this.
Chop a large armful of early forced rhubarb into pieces about 2cm long. Put in a pan with the juice from one blood orange. It looks like you need more liquid but you really don't - the rhubarb gives off a lot of liquid as it cooks. Simmer over a gentle heat, stirring every now and then, for about 15 mintes until the rhubarb is soft. Serve in glass bowls to show off the amazing colour.
There are small bubbles in the last picture because I couldn't wait to take the photo and the stewed rhubarb was still very hot. The bubbles go as it cools to room temperature. I served this for pudding with natural yogurt and the children went slightly beserk, licking out their bowls and demanding to know why there wasn't any more, and when was I going to the shops again? I don't think it will be long!
Other nice things that have marked this week:
- Seeing a great exhibition about Grace Higgens at the British Library yesterday. Then coming home on the tube listening to a Woman's Hour podcast about that very same exhibition.
- Sunshine.
- The purchase of bright yellow fabric for the binding of my quilt, and the steady progress of the hand quilting. I am hoping to finish it all by the end of this month.
- The booking of part of our summer holiday. A week at one of these cool farm tents in August.
- The booking of tickets for G and I to go to this music festival in July.
- Eating Anna's amazing blackberry jam for breakfast (generously and not too begrudgingly shared by O who definitely knows it is HER jam...).
- More sunshine.
Oh no! Do I have to publish the jam recipe now, do you think?! Love the idea of adding the blood orange juice to the rhubarb, would never have thought of that..we had some lovely rhubarb from the allotment last year.You have reminded me that I must download more podcasts for the ipod too- always forget.c
ReplyDeleteI've told O she has to wait until blackberry season before we can have a go at making the jam too. But she is saving jars already....
ReplyDeletethe rhubarb looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteYou will LOVE Featherdown Farms! Which one are you going to? We stayed in Wiltshire last year - just brilliant! We're hoping to go to the one in Lincolnshire in May...
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