RHUBARB RHUBARB!

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Rhubarb & ginger pavlova

Heat the oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1 and line a large sheet with baking parchment. Whisk 4 large egg whites in a bowl to stiff peaks. Add 200g caster sugar, one large spoonful at a time, whisking between each addition, until thick and glossy. Add VUR EQTPƃQWT,

1 tsp white wine vinegar, ½ tsp ground ginger and whisk to combine. Pile in a circle on the parchment and bake for

11/2 hrs until the paper pulls away easily from the meringue. Turn the oven off and let it cool completely inside. Bring 250ml ginger beer, 1 tbsp sugar and a small piece fresh ginger to the boil, then drop in 400g rhubarb, cut into long pieces. Cook for 5 mins, then cool in the syrup. Discard the fresh ginger. To serve, whip 400ml double cream and spread on the meringue. Pile the rhubarb on top with a slotted spoon, then drizzle over some of the syrup. Scatter with chopped pistachios. Serves 8-10.

Rhubarb & prosecco spritzers

Put 450g chopped rhubarb, 200g sugar, the juice of ½ lemon and 125ml water in a saucepan, then simmer for about 10 mins until the rhubarb has collapsed.

Tip into a sieve over a bowl and let the juice drip through for 2 hrs without touching. Chill the juice – it will keep for a week. Reserve the rhubarb with custard to eat as a pudding. To serve, pour the juice ĶOEÌŖ Vij>Ň«>}OEi yÕÌià >OE` ÌŖ« Õ« ÜĶÌij chilled prosecco. Serves 6.

Breakfast rhubarb with orange

The night before, pile 200g sliced rhubarb in a baking dish, and toss with 100g sugar and the zest and juice of 1 orange. Bake, covered, at 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 for 15 mins, then uncovered for

5 mins until just tender. Cool then chill. Stir in 2 segmented oranges and serve on top of thick yogurt with a generous handful of walnuts or almonds. Serves 2.

Rhubarb & strawberry crumble

Cook 400g chopped rhubarb, 500g frozen strawberries, 150g sugar and

1 tsp vanilla extract in a pan for 10 mins. Tip into a pie dish on a baking tray. Rub together 200g chopped butter, 100g sugar, I RNCKP ƃQWT and 60g oats to make crumbs. Scatter over the fruit and bake at 180C/160C fan/gas 4 for 20 mins, then increase the heat to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 until golden. Serves 4.

Rhubarb & ginger jam

Pile 1kg chopped rhubarb into a bowl with 1kg jam sugar, the zest and juice of 1 lemon and a thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated. Stir and leave for 2 hrs to let the sugar to dissolve into the juices. Stir a couple of times. Chill a few saucers in the freezer. Tip the fruit and juices into a preserving pan and set over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved, then bring to the boil and cook at a fairly swift pace until the rhubarb is really tender, about 10-15 mins. To test, drop ½ tsp of the jam onto a cold saucer, leave it for 30 seconds, then gently push it ÜĶÌij Ìiji ÌĶ« Ŗv ÞŖÕÀ wOE}iÀ° v ĶÌ ÜÀĶOEłŃiÃ] Ìiji ÃiÌÌĶOE} «ŖĶOEÌ ij>à LiiOE Ài>Viji`° v OEŖÌ] cook for a couple more minutes and re-test. Remove from the heat and leave for 2-3 mins before tipping into sterilised jars. Seal immediately. Makes 4 jars.