Cinnamon roasted rhubarb

Mid-winter is bleak. Short, wet, windy days followed by even colder nights; a time when us gardeners long for the brighter days of spring.

While the garden may not be especially productive, we can be – by taking advantage of the season, to review our notes from last year and spending time thinking ahead.

Forced rhubarb is available to buy now, however, it can be expensive, so if you have an established clump already you can spur it into action with a forcer. If not its an incredibly easy plant to grow all you need is a spare patch of soil and the patience to wait two years for the plant to mature. For more information and advice, read Vickie Cooke’s article on growing rhubarb.

INGREDIENTS

600g /1 lb 5oz of rhubarb
2-4 teaspoons of local honey
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
80 ml / 41/2 tablespoons of Marsala wine
Ginger biscuits
1 Small carton of whipping cream

METHOD

1. Pull the stalks of rhubarb from the crown, leaving a heel. Cut off and compost the leaves.
2. Wash stalks thoroughly and leave to drain in a colander.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°c/ Fan 180°c/ Gas Mark 6.
4. Slice the rhubarb into finger length pieces, and lay in a single layer in an ovenproof dish.
5. Drizzle over the honey until each piece has a thin coating. Use the back of a teaspoon to ensure an even coating.
6. Pour the Marsala wine into a jug and mix in the ground cinnamon, before pouring over the rhubarb.
7. Cover the dish with foil and roast for 20 minutes then remove foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the rhubarb is tender, but still holds its shape.
8. Whip the cream into soft peaks and leave in the refrigerator until ready for serving.
9. Crush 3-4 ginger biscuits per person, with a rolling pin, and place in a glass dessert bowl.
10. Layer the roasted rhubarb on top of the biscuits, then add a final layer of whipped cream, dusted with a little crushed biscuit and cinnamon and serve.