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Push the season forward with a rhubarb delight
Clare Latimer puts a spring in her
step with two recipes using great ingredients fresh from the
farmers’ market
WALKING round the a Farmers’ Market on Sunday I noticed
some lovely fresh cauliflowers and also fresh gleaming stems
of rhubarb so I have decided to give two recipes a go this week
with these ingredients.
As we are tapping on the toes of April I am desperately trying
to push the season forward as it seems that we are far behind
last year.
My mimosa tree was flowering by mid January last year and this
year it is still barely out. Let us hope that this last blast
of cold air is the end of winter and that the warm weather will
bring out the buds, get the grass to grow and then we can have
some interesting fresh vegetables and lovely British cheeses
from cows that have been grazing on new pastures.
Cauliflower Soup with Stilton and Pear
On its own, this could be a bit bland but with the garnish
of cheese and pear it makes it into something really quite special.
It could just be a supper dish with chunks of brown bread or
could be served for a smart starter to a dinner party.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
One large cauliflower;
Knob butter;
One small onion, peeled and chopped;
One clove garlic, peeled and crushed;
Little fresh thyme, stripped from stem;
Salt and freshly ground black pepper;
900ml chicken stock;
200g Stilton, rind removed and crumbed;
120ml double cream;
One ripe pear.
Method
Trim the cauliflower and cut into florets. Melt the butter in
a large saucepan gently and then add the onion and garlic.
Stir and then cook for about four minutes without browning.
Add the cauliflower, thyme, seasoning and then add the stock
and stir well. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 15
minutes or until the cauliflower is soft.
Leave to cool a little. Add half the cheese and the double cream
and then whizz it in a blender until really smooth.
Test the seasoning. Put it back into the saucepan and gently
reheat. Peel, core and chop the pear into small pieces. Pour
the soup into bowls and sprinkle over the rest of the crumbled
cheese and the chopped pear.
Rhubarb Soufflé
Rhubarb originates from Asia from about 2,000 years ago
and was then used for medicinal purposes and not until the 18th
century was it grown for culinary reasons in Britain and America.
Very recently supermarkets have reported a 100 per cent increase
in sales, which is better than any other vegetable so I think
we should follow the trend.
For a change I cooked the soufflés in halved scooped
out Charentais Melons eating the melon as a starter. Also I
reserve the strained juice as it makes a delicious drink.
Serves 4
Ingredients
450g Rhubarb, cut into one-inch pieces;
One small orange;
Three flat tbsp caster
sugar;
Two eggs;
One square dark plain chocolate, grated. Optional .
Method
Preheat the oven 200C 400F Gas 6.
Put the rhubarb into a saucepan. Grate the rind of the orange
and set aside and then squeeze the juice from the orange and
pour into the saucepan with the rhubarb.
Add two tablespoons of the sugar. Bring to the boil and then
cover and simmer gently for 12 minutes. Strain off most of the
juice, add the orange rind and then leave to cool slightly then
blend until smooth. When cool, add the egg yolks and stir well.
Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry and then fold in
the remaining caster sugar.
Fold in the rhubarb mixture and then finally fold in the chocolate.
Put into an 850ml size soufflé dish and bake for about
12 minutes or until well risen. Serve hot with cream.
Clare’s Kitchen
41 Chalcot Road
Primrose Hill, NW1
Tel: 020 7586 8433
www.clareskitchen.co.uk
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