Signs of Spring

There’s been more on the Cook’s side than on the Plot side of ‘A Cook’s Plot’ so far because I’ve started the blog in the middle of winter and of course there’s not a lot going on in the veg garden - at least, nothing that’s photogenic. But there are definitely signs of spring around… including these first shoots of rhubarb. So exciting to see them! It’s a fairly new variety called ‘Livingstone’ and, unlike most rhubarb that you must stop picking around mid-summer, this one doesn’t need a dormant period and keeps pushing out stems right through until the first frosts. The best way of eating rhubarb, if you ask me, is to roast it in the oven with a little orange juice and some ground ginger, then serve with homemade ice cream dotted with pieces of chopped stem ginger from a jar. You can’t beat it - and I can’t wait until it’s time to start picking it again.