3 RHUBARB RECIPES

1. Rhubarb and Cinnamon Cake - can be either a desert or a cake!

80 g unsalted butter few drops of pure vanilla

300 g plain flour 1 tspn salt

380 brown sugar 1 tspn bicarb soda

2 eggs 1 tspn cinnamon

grated zest of 1 lemon 1 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

400 g rhubarb cut into 1 cm pieces

Topping

1/4 cup brown sugar 1 tspn ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease a 24 cm springform tin with 20 g butter, then dust with a little flour. Using food processor, beat remaining butter with sugar, then add eggs and vanilla. Sift remaining flour, salt, bicarb soda, cinnamon into a bowl, then add to food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add lemon zest and creme fraiche, then transfer to a large bowl and stir in rhubarb. Scrape into tin. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over cake. Bake for 11/4 hours or until a skewer comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.

2. Rhubarb Chutney

1 kg rhubarb stalks, trimmed & sliced 600 g onions peeled and sliced

350 g raisins 1.5 kg brown sugar

920 ml cider vinegar 3 tspn salt

2 tspn ground ginger or good knob of chopped fresh ginger

1 tspn ground cloves or 10 cloves in muslin bag

chilli to taste

Put all ingredients in stainless steel preserving pan and stir over low heat til sugar has dissolved. Bring to boil and simmer, stirring frequently, til chutney has reduced and thickened (about 2 hours). If using whole cloves, remove before bottling. Put into warmed sterilised jars and seal. Keep for about 1 month before using.

3. Rhubarb and Apple Crumble

3 Pink Lady apples peeled, cored, cut into thin slices

1 bunch rhubarb, trimmed, cut into short lengths

1/4 cup (50 g) firmly packed brown sugar

Crumble Topping

1/3 cup (50 g) plain flour

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tspn baking powder

70 g butter, cubed

1/2 cup (50 g) rolled oats

1/4 cup (25 g) flaked almonds

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease 1 1/2 litre oven proof dish or 6 cups with butter. Toss apple, rhubarb, sugar and put into dish or divide evenly among dishes, pressing down firmly.

Topping - Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and butter in a bowl and rub in butter with fingers til mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in rolled oats and almonds. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake for 25-30 minutes or til fruit is tender when tested, and topping is golden. Serve warm with cream or ice-cream.