Rich Rhubarb

If you are ever thinking about growing your own fruit and veg and are worried about it, then rhubarb is the fruit for you. It must be one of the easiest and hardiest of plants. No tending, no watering, pretty much neglected and yet year after it year it thrives and produces a massive yield of fruit.

That is, of course if you like rhubarb (and I do). I have childhood memories of a wee paper poke of sugar and a stick of rhubarb to dip in, not sure I would do that with my own kids (or if they would appreciate quite as much as I did as a kid!).

Anyway what to do with the first pick of the rhubarb? A nice jam or a yummy crumble? Or something new? I have a great recipe for banana loaf so thought with a wee bit of tweaking I would try and conjure up a recipe for a rhubarb and custard loaf (cause rhubarb and custard, in my opinion, are a match made in heaven).

Step 1 - pick the rhubarb:

Step 2 - prepare the rhubarb

Now I know it's traditional to stew the rhubarb on the stove, but I find that method gives you a bit of a brown mush. I prefer to cut the rhubarb into bite size chunks, layer it in a roasting dish, sprinkle with brown sugar and roast in the oven for about 25min or until it is soft (but not mushy). This gives a lovely texture and keeps some of the lovely colour.

Step 3 - Conjure up the recipe, and here it is...

Rhubarb and Custard Loaf

Wheat Free Yes Gluten Free Yes
Makes one large loaf

Ingredients 
170g butter, softened
170g caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
170g GF SR Flour, sifted (I like Doves)
1 small pot vanilla custard
250g roasted rhubarb (see above)


Method 
1. Beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract
2. Gradually add the eggs
3. Fold in the flour
4. Add a layer of mixture to a greased loaf tin. Dot some of the rhubarb on and add small spoonfulls of custard. Add more mixture and repeat.

5. On the top add more rhubarb and custard.

6. Bake in the oven at 160 degrees C for around 45min or until cooked (check with a skewer in the middle)
7. Put on a cooling tray to cool
8. Enjoy either cold or warm with more custard!