Celebrating versatile vegetable with rhubarb’s stalks and talks
This coming weekend sees the Rhubarb Festival here in Wakefield. For many years now we have been celebrating the glorious pink vegetable that thrives in the nine square miles affectionately called “The Rhubarb Triangle”. Rhubarb, native to Siberia, does grow well in cold wet winters here in Yorkshire. From mid-January until April the crops of bright pink and tender stalks of rhubarb are growing in heated sheds in complete darkness.
We used to have rhubarb in our garden when I was a child. A very fond memory is of having a stick and small twist of paper containing sugar to dip the rhubarb into and chomp through it in its raw state. My mum used to bake delicious rhubarb crumbles and pies with our crop from the garden, rhubarb and custard our very favourite.
Of course there is so much more that can be made using rhubarb, not just sweet things. Rhubarb pairs well with oily fish, meat, game and poultry. Last year when I was in the demo tent at the festival.
I made a scrumptious Persian style chicken dish with soft spices, rhubarb and honey. This year I am going down the savoury route on the Sunday morning when I will be making my rhubarb paella!
Rhubarb is a very popular pudding ingredient but it lends itself to much more than the inevitable crumble on the dessert menu. Last year in the demo tent I also made a rhubarb and custard tart while Freya, from last year's Bake Off, made a rhubarb pavlova.
If you come along to the demo tent on the Friday morning, I will be making a rhubarb and custard cheesecake. I will crush custard cream biscuits to make the base and then stir some stewed rhubarb through a cheesecake filling.
The next layer will be a gorgeous Crème Diplomate custard, the very top layer a glossy red rhubarb jelly. I am on stage 11am Friday and Sunday. The demo tent is cosy and warm. Come along and say hello!
The festival has much more going on than just cookery demonstrations though. Another marquee hosts musicians and comedians, there are events in The Ridings and the pedestrian precinct will be full of traders selling rhubarb related products. It is a fabulous free event and there is something for all the family to enjoy!