It was Valentine's Day in the supermarket. Over the tannoy, the voice of a tired irritated woman announced,"Today is the day when you have the opportunity to show the one you love just how much you care." There was a pause and a deep sigh."In Aisle 10 there are a range of gifts from as little as 99 pence." So if you really don't care that much, there is the perfect 99 pence gift. I can only imagine that announcing the promise of Valentine's Day twice an hour, had plunged the Voice of the Tannoy into a depression.
For my loved ones, I decided to buy more rhubarb. A shop assistant was straightening the vegetables. As I took a bag of rhubarb, he took the other end. "You will enjoy this won't you?" he said and smiled broadly at me. "Oh yes, of course." "It's just that rhubarb is my favourite."
"I won't let you down." I said. This was a man with a passion for rhubarb, someone who didn't want it to go to an unloving home.
Back at home I made rhubarb and strawberry compote. Many of you have left comments about the joys of a simple compote so I tried this with Freddie. And just so that you know, it isn't always plain sailing with the Great Big Vegetable Challenge. Freddie hated it. "Too sour and too stringy"
Alex loved it so I suppose this is a 50% success rate. But I daren't tell the man in the supermarket. Tonight we need another success and we will be trying out a recipe left by Schmoof, which is a meat and rhubarb mince made my her father. Wish us luck!
Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote
250g rhubarb sticks
250g strawberries
75g caster sugar
1 large orange
Wash and cut the rhubarb sticks into 3cm pieces. Wash, stem and cut the strawberries in half. Grate the orange zest and squeeze the juice. Add to a pan with the rhubarb, strawberries and sugar. Gently heat all the ingredients together until juice starts to run from the strawberries. For the next ten minutes, cook on a medium heat, stirring. The rhubarb will become tender. Serve with Greek yoghurt, vanilla ice cream or custard.
Ah! Hope you enjoy the recipe :)
ReplyDeleteYesterday someone came into work with a big bunch of rhubarb, arranged with some twigs and a couple of roses into a gorgeous bouquet. Apparently the recipient is a great rhubarb fan. I must try it in a sweet dish, the compote sounds perfect.
Oh my. Rhubarb (also know as "pie plant" in this neck of the woods) is VERY sour. To 3 cups of rhubarb I would add 2 cups of sugar. When you wash to stalk, remove the larger of the strings, that would help. Gone are the days when I would break a stalk off the plant, wipe it clean on my jeans, and eat it raw - making exactly the face that Freddie is making. You compote sounds good. Just up the sugar, cook the rhubarb and orange first then add the strawberries at the end. This will cook the rhubarb more, making it softer and sweeter.
ReplyDeleteThis type of compote was one of my favorite things as a child. I am with Alex on this one!
ReplyDeleteWe can tell by his expression that Freddie gives this one maybe a 3 out of 10 :D Rhubarb can be a beautiful thing. I haven't come across any of the "forced" rhubarb yet so may have to wait till March :D
ReplyDeleteWe can tell by his expression that Freddie gives this one maybe a 3 out of 10 :D Rhubarb can be a beautiful thing. I haven't come across any of the "forced" rhubarb yet so may have to wait till March :D
ReplyDeleteTell Freddy he's lucky. My mother once heard that if you cook rhubarb in vinegar it takes away the tartness!!!
ReplyDeleteI have no idea why she believed this (she surely must have misheard), but we were served the resultant concoction and had to eat the foul thing up. Yeurgh.
You could try rhubarb with elderflower cordial and make into a crumble. The boys always said they didn't like rhubarb but they loved this. I can't remember how much of each I think I may have blogged it. I'll check and let you know.
ReplyDeleteI definitely made a rhubarb and elderflower cordial brulee too which was superb! How modest of me!
I love rhubarb and can't wait to pick some fresh from the garden. I always make a rhubarb cake with mine. (recipe on my blog)
ReplyDeleteFreddie would say YUK! to the way I like to eat it, stewed with just enough sugar to take the tartness off. I believe if you stew it with lemonade instead of water it sweetens it so you use less sugar.
ReplyDelete