Rhubarb Revival

Just a short post as I have a few distractions this week and need to get my serious head down in preparation for them.  

I mentioned last month that my rhubarb was growing fantastically well, and here is the proof - Just look at these thick long stems shimmering in white, pink and lime green. I am so, so pleased.  Last year, I did not get to harvest many stems and they were also on the skinny side.  This year I have been bestowed with an armful and there is much more to come!  So excited, and I am not that much of a rhubarb fan, finding it a little too astringent, but D loves the stuff - so for him, I will be doing some cooking and baking. 

I don't know if I will be able to get through these just between the two of us, so some stems are going over to my family: for the nippers; some being turned into crumble tonight; some transformed into a preserve of sorts and some chopped up for the freezer.  

I am also always looking for new recipe ideas, so please if you have any suggestions they would be most welcome - sweet and savoury.  I am sharing this post with Daphne and Dandelions who is hosting Harvest Monday. 

Rhubarb and Rosemary Scones

Rhubarb and rosemary combination is not new to me.  I experimented with these two flavours a couple of years ago when I made Rhubarb and Rosemary Cookies and thought they would make nice scones too. 

I will certainly be making these again, as they really disappeared from my kitchen in a blink of an eye.  The mitts not only belonged to D, but my mother, nephews and nieces and it is upon their request I will be making some more.  I will be making slightly smaller ones this time though.

I've just filled the warm scones here with whipped double cream, but to go that little bit more decadent, you can also make Rosemary infused cream.  Simple really, the way you would make lavender sugar by infusing a sprig or two of lavender in caster sugar, make rosemary sugar.  Then add a teaspoon or two to the whipping cream or even to the scone mixture.  Also had I more rhubarb, I would have made Rhubarb Jam - its on my list this year to make, as my mother loves it!  My mother feeds me loads, I think its time to repay the compliment.

I am sharing some of these lovely Rhubarb and Rosemary Scones with Simona of Briciole. She has the honour of hosting this week's Weekend Herb Blogging #329. This food blogging event now in its 6th year was started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen and is now co-ordinated by Haalo of Cook (almost)Anything Once. 

Rhubarb and Rosemary Scones

Makes about 14 depending on size of cutter you use.
Ingredients
450g self-raising flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
100g butter, chopped into little cubes
100g golden caster sugar
160g rhubarb, about a stick chopped into small pieces
1½ teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
280ml milk
Method
In a large bowl, sift the flour, salt and baking powder. Add the butter to the flour and rub it with your fingertips until it begins to resemble breadcrumbs. Stir in the caster sugar, the rhubarb pieces and rosemary, then gently pour in the milk – be careful as you may not require it all – and knead until the dough comes together. 

Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out the dough to about 1½ inch thick.

Cut out the shapes, re-roll the dough and cut out more circles,until all of the dough has been used.

Lay the scones on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled lightly with plain flour. Bake in oven at gas mark 8/230oc for 12 – 15 minutes or until lightly golden.

Can you smell them?!

Here is the rhubarb growing in my garden , a long way from being edible, but at least its thriving. Up-dated: June 2012: Please follow this link to see Blissfully Scrumptious recipes for Rhubarb and Rosemary Cupcakes and Rhubarb and Rosemary Jelly. 

Rhubarb and Ginger Loaves

Around this time last year I was able to 'force' some of my own rhubarb. It was incredibly delicious, but in the process of ‘forcing’ it, I think I may have killed my rhubarb plant. I actually grew it from seed and was so proud of it. Instead of being considerate and letting it get become strong and established, I greedily demanded it produce some luminous pink forced rhubarb. Early this year, when I went to check out its progress in the corner of my garden plot. I noticed my rhubarb plant was no more. Maybe it was me exerting so much pressure upon it, maybe it was the dingy corner it was in, or maybe it was just the cold weather. I have replaced it with a 'Timperly' variety, but I won’t be able to reap any of its benefits until next year.

Anyway, this year I have been patiently waiting for this seasons crop of rhubarb. It slow appearance at the grocery stores, farm shops and supermarkets has been blamed on the unusually cold weather which included a lot of snow. Those that had appeared on the shelves were of course imported, until early this week when I spotted some English rhubarb. Most of the rhubarb grown in England is grown in a small area of West Yorkshire between Bradford, Leeds and Wakefield famously dubbed as the ‘Rhubarb Triangle’. The Scottish ones have yet to grace the shelves. Maybe I’ll find some this weekend?!

Well as much as I tried to resist, I just could not walk by and ignore this English rhubarb. Its seaside sticker rock pink allured me and the thought of its sharp mouth-puckering goodness, well just tempted me.
Now that I had it in my bag, I wondered what to make with it. I could just make a crumble, a cake or even a tart, but with the weather being warmish, neither appealed to me. Instead I decided to make some simple 'rhubarb and ginger loaves'. These are really airy light muffins made in individual loaf tins. These are not overly sweet, instead allowing the flavour of the ginger came through and the rhubarb, ahhhh was just delightful on the tongue.
Rhubarb and ginger loaves
Makes 10
Ingredients
260g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
110g caster sugar
140g - 150g fresh rhubarb, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
284ml buttermilk
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of crystallized or preserved ginger, cut into pieces
Method
Into a large bowl, sift the flour, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt. The stir in the sugar and rhubarb. In another bowl, mix the egg, buttermilk and vegetable oil. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix briefly until just combined. Spoon the batter into the loaf tins, or muffin cups, then sprinkle evenly with the crystallized ginger pieces. Bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes, or until well risen and golden. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn into a wire rack. Best eaten on the day.

Greek yogurt and rhubarb

This is the forced rhubarb growing in my garden plot. Naughty, naughty me couldn't resist a peek, and in peeking I knocked off a rhubarb stalk (see it there laying on it's back). Oh well an unexpected dessert for me to enjoy later this evening.
I gently placed the plastic bin back over it, hopefully I have not disturbed it too much.

I chopped the rhubarb stalk into small pieces with a scattering of caster sugar and then baked it in the oven for 20 minutes, until it was cooked through. I allowed it to cool and served it with some generous dollops of Greek yogurt.

Forced rhubarb is so delicate, so brilliantly pink and tastes so different from the naturally grown rhubarb. For those of you who do not like rhubarb, I would recommend you try forced rhubarb. I think you may just like it. It does not have that sharp twang that makes your eyes squint as soon as you put it into your mouth. It is sublime.