Young rhubarb growing in the garden is at its best early in the year. As the stalks get exposed to increasing amounts of light, they toughen. So cut them in the spring and make the most of them. Baked rhubarb is a quick pudding for me and if I haven’t time to make a crumble I serve it with granola and a dollop of thick Greek yogurt. To make it special you can flavour the syrup in different ways. I love to use lemon zest and crushed cardamom seeds but you can use ginger (either grated root or powdered), cinnamon, cloves, star anise and orange. It is worth experimenting with. Any left over baked rhubarb stores well in the fridge and is lovely served with breakfast cereals and porridge.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1kg young rhubarb, washed and cut into sticks about 10cm in length. No need to peel if the rhubarb is young.
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp crushed cardamom seeds
sugar to taste (any kind will do)
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C. Place the cut rhubarb in a baking tray or ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with lemon zest, crushed cardamom seeds and two tablespoons of sugar and mix well. Place in the oven and cook for 20 - 30 minutes, or until the rhubarb is tender (test with a knife). Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Serve with thick Greek yogurt, cream or custard and a sprinkling of granola.
