Rhubarb drink

Makes 1.5l

500g rhubarb
1.5l water
8 tbsp sugar (I used golden caster sugar)
4 whole cloves
zest and juice of one lemon
few springs of fresh mint
lime

In a pan boil the water together with cloves and lemon zest, add sugar and stir until dissolved. Next add the rhubarb chopped in 1cm pieces and simmer over a low heat for abour 15 minutes.

Remove from a heat, stir the lemon juice into a pan and set aside. Refigerate overnight. Strain the rhubarb out using a sieve. I do it twice - second time using a cheese cloth.

Serve cold with some fresh mint and lime (ice cubes - optionally).

Spring vegetable tagliatelle with lemon & chive sauce

Inspired by "Good Food" magazine, May 2010 issue.

Serves 2

250g tagliatelle
8-10 asparagus spears, wooden ends removed, spears halved
cup of peas (I used petit pois)
zest and juice of one lemon
tsp of Dijon mustard
4 tbsp olive oil
handful of fresh chives
few parmesan shavings
salt
freshly ground black pepper


Cook the pasta, adding the vegetables - for last 5 minutes bottom parts of asparagus, for last 3 minutes asparagus heads and for last minute peas.

Meanwhile mix olive oil with lemon zest, juice and mustard and warm through until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta and veg, adding 4 tbsp of the water to the sauce. Reheat the sauce, adding most of the chives (I cut them with scissors), add the pasta and veg to the sauce and toss everything together.

Divide between two plates or bowls and top each with some more chives and parmesan shavings. Sprinkle with some more pepper if required and serve immediately.

Rhubarb cake with cinnamon topping

For 25cm round spring form

For the topping

50g brown sugar
100g plain flour
60g melted unsalted butter
handful of almond flakes
15g cinnamon sugar (you can make your own by putting whole cinnamon into a jar of sugar and keep closed for few weeks, instead you can use half tsp of ground cinnamon)

Mix all the above and keep refrigerated.

For the rhubarb filling

600g rhubarb, peeled and sliced into 1cm pieces
1/4 cup of brown sugar
2 tbsp of potato starch (potato flour)
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Mix all the above.

For the base

140g plain flour
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate soda
1/4 tsp salt
90g softened, unsalted buttr
80ml crème fraîche

In a bowl mix all dry ingredients and in a separate one all wet ingredients (eggs, crème fraîche and butter). Add wet mixture to the dry ones and mix using a hand mixer. Dough is quite sticky.

Spread some butter over a spring form and place the dough in it. Flatten it little bit by pressing down using your damp hands. Place the whole rhubarb mixture on it and finish with the topping.

Bake for 75 minutes in 170 C.

Asparagus & lemon risotto

Serves 2-4


about 30g butter
1 onion or shallot, peeled and finely chopped
bundle of asparagus (allow at least 4 asparagus per person) - trimmed and halved
approx. 1 litre vegetable stock (I always boil it using asparagus wooden ends)
200g risotto rice (such as arborio or carnaroli)
150ml dry white wine (if I don't have white, I use dry rose)
lemon and zest of one lemon (make sure you zest yellow part only, white one is bitter)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese


Keep the stock hot all the time. In a separate pan heat half of the butter, add the onion and fry very slowly for about 15 minutes without colouring until softened. Then add rice and turn up the heat.

Fry the rice, stirring all the time. After a minute it will look slightly translucent. Add the wine and lemon juice and keep stirring for minute, until alcohol will evaporate. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the wine has cooked into the rice, add a ladle of hot stock and turn down the heat to a simmer so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly on the outside. After 5 minutes add the bottom parts of asparagus - they need to boil little bit longer than tops. Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring – you will notice a creamy starch from the rice. This is why you have to allow each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 15-20 minutes, until the rice is cooked. For the last 5 minutes add lemon zest and asparagus tops. Asparagus heads are more delicate than the bottom parts and do not require long time to cook.

Remove from the heat and add the remaining butter and 2 tbsp parmesan. Stir well and allow to rest for 2 minutes – this will make risotto really creamy and oozy. Serve immediately (as risotto cannot be reheated!) sprinkled with the remaining parmesan cheese on top.

Asparagus in puff pastry & poached egg yolk

Serves 2

bundle of asparagus (allow 5-6 per person)
10-12 strips of puff pastry, about 1 cm wide
2 fresh egg yolks
tbsp grated parmesan (optional)
sea salt

Preheat the oven to 200 C and meanwhile prepare the asparagus, by removing wooden ends. Pre-boil trimmed asparagus in a pan with salted water for about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan, rinse for about minute under a cold water and let it dry. Keep the water hot all the time.

Sprinkle each puff pastry strip with parmesan if using and wrap each asparagus in pastry. You can also brush the pastry with egg white and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake in the oven until crispy and golden.

I like to dip them in a runny egg yolk, so I separate egg yolks from the whites and place each yolk in the small bowls. Gently pour them into boiling water (the same that you used for boiling the asparagus) and poach for about 30 seconds. Drain with slotted spoon and serve immediately.