Dear Customer,

The English season is finally beginning. We have the new lettuces and the first broad beans this week as well as the first rhubarb. My phone has been ringing all week with farmers announcing dates in the coming weeks of the start of their tomatoes, broccoli, their new potatoes, bunched carrots, bunched beetroots and the first English strawberries. We are still in the 'hungry gap' but I am now optimistic that it will not last much longer.
Here are a couple of rhubarb recipes. The Red Hokkaido Squash is delicious just sliced and roasted in olive oil with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Rhubarb and Mango Crumble

1lb rhubarb cut into ¾" pieces
1 mango cut into ¾" cubes
8 ½ tbls sugar
small cup flour
3 tbls cornmeal
½ tsp ground ginger
pinch ground white pepper
pinch salt
5 tbls unsalted butter cut into ½" pieces

Preheat oven to 425 degrees farenheit. Butter a large baking dish. Add rhubarb and mango and cover with 6-7 tbls sugar. Toss gently to combine. In a food processor combine remaining 2 tbls sugar with the flour, cornmeal, ginger, white pepper and salt. Pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and process until mixture begins to clump then transfer to a bowl. Pinch the topping until it forms crumbs and sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Rhubarb Special

1lb rhubarb
3 cardamom pods
6oz sugar
½ pint double cream
1oz shelled pistachios

Cut the rhubarb into 1" lengths. Slit the cardamom pods and remove the black seeds. Crush. Put the rhubarb, cardamom seeds and sugar in a saucepan and cook, covered over a low heat for a few minutes until juices begin to run. Raise the heat and cook for 3-4 minutes until rhubarb is tender. Scoop out the rhubarb and boil the juice vigorously until it reduces by half. Turn off the heat and cool.
Meanwhile, pour boiling water over the pistachios and leave for 30 seconds. Drain and rub off the skins. Spread out on a baking tray and dry out in the oven at 140 degrees C for 5 - 10 minutes. Chop up the nuts.
Whip the cream until stiff and fold in the cooked rhubarb and juices and two thirds of the chopped pistachios. Spoon into individual bowls and scatter with remaining nuts.

All best wishes,

Isobel Davies