Rhubarb & Ginger Cake

125g butter
125g golden syrup
100g black treacle
125g unrefined light brown sugar
50ml milk
2 eggs
50g crystallised ginger , finely chopped
300g rhubarb , chopped
300g self-raising flour mixed with 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda and 1 tbsp ground ginger

Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3.
Melt the butter in a pan with the golden syrup, black treacle and sugar.
Mix everything together and pour into a lined 25 x 12cm loaf tin.
Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Recipe from olive magazine, May 2009.

Rhubarb & almond crumble tart

375g pack dessert pastry
a little plain flour

750g rhubarb , sliced into thumb-size chunks
140g golden caster sugar
juice 1 large orange

For the Streusel:

¼ tsp ground cinnamon
140g cold butter , diced
100g ground almonds
140g plain flour
175g light muscovado sugar
handful flaked almonds

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, then line a 23cm tart tin with it. Chill in the fridge.

Tip the rhubarb into a roasting tray with the sugar and juice, then toss together. Cover with foil, then bake for 30-40 mins. Tip into a sieve over a bowl, then reserve the syrup. While the rhubarb is cooking, press a sheet of baking paper into the tart case, tip in baking beans, then bake for 20 mins. Remove beans and paper, then bake for 10 mins more.

Rub the topping ingredients, except the almonds, together until crumbly. When the case is cooked, lower oven to 180C/ fan 160C/gas 4. Spoon the rhubarb evenly over the case and crumble over the topping. Scatter with almonds, then bake for 20 mins. Leave the tart until just warm, then turn out and serve with the rhubarb syrup and some crème fraîche.

Rhubarb & apple sauce

Cook 1 finely chopped shallot in a little oil until soft. Add 3 peeled and chopped apples, 3 chopped rhubarb sticks, 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp cider vinegar. Simmer with the lid on for 20-25 mins until softened. Great with roast pork.


Tip

For a simpler dessert, the roasted rhubarb is delicious served warm with vanilla ice cream and shop-bought shortbread

Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2009.

Rhubarb & strawberry meringue pots

450g rhubarb , cut into 4cm/1½in chunks
100g golden caster sugar
grated zest of 1 orange
1 tbsp strawberry conserve
2 eggs , separated

Preheat the oven to 180C/ Gas 4/fan oven 160C. Put the rhubarb in an ovenproof dish, sprinkle over 50g/2oz of the sugar and the orange zest and stir together. Cover and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until tender. (Alternatively, you can cook the rhubarb with the sugar and zest in the microwave for 10 minutes on full power, stirring halfway through the cooking time, until just tender.)

Remove the rhubarb from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Stir in the conserve then the egg yolks. Divide the rhubarb mixture between four 175ml/6fl oz ramekins. Put on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 10 minutes until lightly thickened.

While the rhubarb is cooking, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Sprinkle over half of the remaining sugar and whisk again. Gently fold in the rest of the sugar. Pile the meringue on top of the rhubarb to cover it completely and swirl the top. Return to the oven for 10 minutes until the meringue is puffy and golden. Serve immediately.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, May 2002.

Rhubarb and Date Chutney

50g fresh root ginger , grated
300ml red wine vinegar
500g eating apples , peeled and finely chopped
200g pitted dates , chopped
200g dried cranberries or raisins
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp curry powder
400g light muscovado sugar
700g rhubarb , sliced into 2cm chunks
500g red onions

Put the onions in a large pan with the ginger and vinegar. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 mins. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the rhubarb, plus 2 tsp salt to the pan and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 mins until the apples are tender.

Stir in the rhubarb and cook, uncovered, until the chutney is thick and jammy, about 15-20 mins. Leave the chutney to sit for about 10-15 mins, then spoon into warm, clean jars, and seal. Label the jars when cool. Keep for at least a month before eating.

Know how - Sterilising jars

To sterilise jars, put them through the hot cycle of the dishwasher and boil the lids for 5 mins, or wash in hot, soapy water, rinse, then put in a roasting tin and heat at 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 for 15 mins.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, May 2008

Rhubarb & custard cake

1 quantity Barney's roasted rhubarb (see recipe, below method)
250g pack butter , softened, plus extra for greasing
150g pot ready-made custard (not the chilled kind; I used Ambrosia)
250g self-raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g golden caster sugar
icing sugar , for dusting

Make the roasted rhubarb first, carefully draining off the juices before you let it cool. Butter and line a 23cm loose-bottomed or springform cake tin. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.

Reserve 3 tbsp of the custard in a bowl. Beat the rest of the custard together with the butter, flour, baking powder, eggs, vanilla and sugar until creamy and smooth. Spoon one-third of the mix into the tin, add some of the rhubarb, then dot with one-third more cake mix and spread it out as well as you can. Top with some more rhubarb, then spoon over the remaining cake mix, leaving it in rough mounds and dips rather than being too neat about it. Scatter the rest of the rhubarb over the batter, then dot the remaining custard over. Bake for 40 mins until risen and golden, then cover with foil and bake for 15-20 mins more. It's ready when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin, then dredge with icing sugar when cool.

Barney's roasted rhubarb

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Rinse 400g rhubarb and shake off excess water. Trim the ends, then cut into little-finger-size pieces. Put in a shallow dish or a baking tray, tip over 50g caster sugar, toss together, then shuffle rhubarb so it's in a single layer. Cover with foil, then roast for 15 mins. Remove foil. Give everything a little shake, roast for 5 mins more or until tender and the juices are syrupy.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, May 2009.

Irish Soda Bread

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup raisins
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, raisins, caraway seeds, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, eggs, and 2 tablespoons butter. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients to form a dough.

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth, about 4 minutes; add more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Form dough into a 9-inch round; place on prepared baking sheet. Brush loaf with remaining tablespoon butter. Using a sharp knife, score an X on top of loaf.

Bake until skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on wire rack before serving.

Shredded Chicken Salad

Salt
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 head iceberg lettuce
2 red bell peppers
3 scallions
1 cucumber
Quick Peanut Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons chopped unsalted peanuts
Directions

In a skillet, bring 1 cup salted water to a simmer. Add chicken, cover, and cook over low heat 5 minutes. Turn off heat; let steam 5 minutes. Shred chicken with a fork.

Cut lettuce and bell peppers into strips; slice scallions. Quarter cucumber lengthwise; slice thinly. Combine vegetables and chicken; season with salt.

Toss with peanut vinaigrette and peanuts.

Peanut Vinaigrette

4 tablespoons unsalted peanuts
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup rice-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions

In a blender, puree peanuts, lime juice, vinegar, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons water, sesame oil, salt, and pepper until smooth, about 15 seconds.

With the machine running, slowly add vegetable oil in a steady stream, and continue blending until dressing is emulsified and slightly thickened.