3 easy ways with rhubarb

Enjoy it for breakfast or use it as a condiment to enhance the lavour of savoury dishes

Rhubarb, pistachio & rosewater compote

Great with yogurt or porridge, or spread on French toast with ricotta.

SERVES 1 PREP 5 mins plus cooling COOK 8 mins EASY V

Chop 150g rhubarb into 4cm lengths. Put in a stainless steel saucepan with 15g caster sugar, 15g honey, a pinch of salt and 1/2 tbsp water. Warm over a medium heat, stirring often, for 5-8 mins, until the rhubarb has collapsed and is tender. Taste, and, if you like it a little sweeter, add another spoonful of honey. Stir in 1/2-1 tsp rosewater to taste and 2 tbsp chopped pistachios. Leave to cool, then serve as you like.

GOOD TO KNOW ibre • 1 of 5-a-day • gluten free

PER SERVING 294 kcals • fat 14g • saturates 2g • carbs 32g • sugars 29g • ibre 6g • protein 7g • salt 0.5g

Quick raw rhubarb salsa

This is lovely spooned over tinned mackerel on toast – it provides a fresh, crunchy, juicy bite.

SERVES 4 6 PREP 10 mins NO COOK EASY V

Combine 50g finely chopped rhubarb with 1 cored and finely chopped sweet apple, 1/2 red chilli deseeded and chopped and 1/2 finely chopped white onion. Stir, then season with a pinch of sea salt and some white pepper. Stir through 1 tbsp finely chopped herbs (dill or flat-leaf parsley work well), then season with a few drops of cider vinegar or lemon juice. Drizzle over 1/2 tbsp rapeseed oil. Stir, taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve with tacos or slowroasted meats like pulled pork.

GOOD TO KNOW vegan • gluten free

PER SERVING 23 kcals • fat 1g • saturates 0.1g • carbs 3g • sugars 2g • ibre 1g • protein 0.3g • salt 0.1g

Rhubarb & muesli breakfast bakes

These wholesome little bites are perfect for breakfast on the go.

MAKES 12 PREP 20 mins plus cooling COOK 35 mins EASY V G

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Butter the holes of a 12-hole mu n tin. Cut 300g rhubarb into 4cm lengths and put on a baking tray. Scatter with 60g caster sugar and the zest and juice of 1 orange. Cover with foil and bake for 15 mins, then remove from the oven and leave to cool in the syrup. Put 180g selfraising flour, 20g desiccated coconut, 80g muesli, 1 tsp baking powder and the crushed seeds from 3 cardamom pods in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Crack 2 eggs into a separate bowl and whisk. Coarsely grate 1 carrot and a small piece of peeled ginger into the bowl with the eggs, then stir in 80g natural yogurt, 40g honey, 2 tbsp golden caster sugar, 40g melted butter and 100g of the poached rhubarb, plus 1 tbsp of the syrup. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until well combined, then spoon the mix into the prepared mu n tin. Top each mu n with a bit more of the rhubarb (you can keep the leftovers for use in other recipes) and drizzle over a little more of the syrup. Bake on a high shelf for 18-20 mins until pu ed and golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool. Will keep frozen for three months. Serve with yogurt, if you like.

PER SERVING 153 kcals • fat 6g • saturates 3g • carbs 21g • sugars 7g • ibre 2g • protein 4g • salt 0.3g

Rhubarb fool with confit rhubarb & pistachios

SERVES 6 PREP 20 mins plus cooling and at least a few hrs chilling COOK 20 mins EASY V

400g forced rhubarb, cut into 3.5 4cm pieces

80g caster sugar

3 cardamom pods

1 blood orange or pink grapefruit, zested and juiced (you’ll need about 125ml juice)

lemon, juiced (you’ll need about 35ml juice)

100g condensed milk

2cm piece ginger, peeled and inely grated

300g double cream

2 tbsp chopped pistachios

1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Line a roasting tin and arrange the rhubarb in a single layer. Scatter over the sugar, cardamom, blood orange zest and juice, and the lemon juice. Cover and roast for 20 mins. Remove from the oven, uncover and leave to cool in its syrup.

2 Scoop out and discard the cardamom pods, then use a slotted spoon to transfer half the rhubarb into the bowl of a food processor. Add a couple of spoonfuls of the syrup and blitz to a purée.

3 Combine the purée with the condensed milk and a pinch of salt. Stir in the ginger. Whip the cream to medium peaks in a bowl, then carefully fold in the rhubarb mix.

4 Spoon the mousse into glasses and chill for a few hrs or overnight until set. Top with the remaining rhubarb, along with its syrup and scatter over the pistachios.

GOOD TO KNOW 1 of 5-a-day • gluten free PER SERVING 399 kcals • fat 30g • saturates 18g • carbs 27g • sugars 24g • ibre 2g • protein 4g • salt 0.1g