April is a bang in the middle of the season of renewal and buying local seasonal foods and products will help not only your local community but the environment too. Traditionally the spring months are when milk is preserved by making cheeses and chickens lay eggs like mad. I recently went to an egg tasting and the egg that came top was the one bought at the farm gate 2 miles from the restaurant we were eating in. Q.E.D.
Rhubarb meringue
750-1kg rhubarb, cut into 5-6cm pieces
3tbsp granulated sugar
Zest and juice of an organic orange
25g butter
2 egg yolks
For meringue
2 egg whites
Pinch of salt
100g caster sugar
Put the rhubarb, sugar and orange zest and juice into an oven proof dish and Bake the rhubarb in a pre heated oven, 180c until very soft, about 25 minutes. Crush until pureed then beat in the butter and the egg yolks. Pour mix into a pie dish.
Whisk the whites with the salt until stiff then add 2 teaspoons of caster sugar and whisk well then fold in the rest of the sugar with a metal spoon. Pile the meringue on top of the rhubarb mix then sprinkle with more caster sugar. Bake in a pre heated oven 180c for 30 minutes or until the top is crisp and golden. Serve hot or cold with lots of thick double or clotted cream or vanilla ice cream.
Top tip:
“For there is none of you so mean and base, That hath not noble lustre in your eyes. I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, straining upon the start. The game's afoot: Follow your spirit, and upon this charge Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!' “ Rousing stuff Henry V, a recent pole noted that 9 out of 10 people didn’t know what date St George’s day was to make sure you and your family are fully up to speed with the whole dragon thing visit an English Heritage property- they are putting on displays up and down the country to celebrate St George’s Day www.english-heritage.org.uk
This article by Amy Willcock appears in The
Shooting Gazette April 2008, and is reproduced here with permission.
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