Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb...

I snatched up a few cheap bunches of lovely organic rhubarb at a local market recently; since then I have been experimenting with all manner of combos and recipes.  On visiting a friend at their work - in - progress farm they too gave me some fresh rhubarb from their garden, after I took round a peach and rhubarb pie I'd made that morning.

My father in law delivered another few trays of the mega peaches from the family Batlow orchard.  So I got inspired to make another pie.

Strawberry peach and rhubarb pie with vanilla spiked cream.

Ingredients:

(Pastry)
250g plain flour
125g unsalted butter
2 tbs caster sugar (optional)
1tbs chilled water
1 egg

(Filling)
Big bunch of rhubarb (approx 10 stalks)
Punnet strawberries
2 large peaches
2 vanilla pods, scraped clean
3 tbs brown sugar (optional)

(Cream)

200g thickened cream
seed scrapings from 2 vanilla pods
1 tbs brown sugar (optional)

Method:

In a food processor, blend flour with a pinch of salt (and sugar if you like a sweeter pastry) then process chopped butter until it resembles breadcrumbs.  Whisk egg and water together, then add to flour mixture and process until it starts coming together.  Turn out on a flat surface and knead together, form into a rough disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a few hours.  Divide into two portions, roll out one portion to cover the bottom of a greased pie dish.

Wash, trim and chop rhubarb into 2cm portions, fry in large non stick pan with a knob of butter until it just starts to soften.  Add chopped peaches and strawberries, vanilla pods and sugar, cook until all fruits are soft.  Be careful to not let the fruit catch on the bottom of the pan!  Taste and add sugar if needed.  I like to let the flavours of the fruit speak for itself, so less sugar is always better in my opinion.

Pour fruit mixture into pastry case.  Roll out other portion of pastry and cover pie, trimming excess pastry from the edges.  Press edges to enclose the pie and chill in fridge for 30 minutes.  Brush with a little egg whisked with milk.

Place onto a baking tray and into a preheated 180C oven; bake for approx 45 minutes or until browned on top.  Whip cream with sugar and vanilla; serve with the pie.

Friendship - Gently Poached

Last night we were paid a visit from yet another long lost friend that we had not seen or heard from in over three years. An ex-housemate of my husband (who incidentally also won our inaugural, unofficial, "housemate of the decade" award), she recently emerged from a relationship with a man who tried to isolate her from her friends and family. She cooked and cleaned up after him and his two children, happily did school and sports runs, worked hard at making their house a happy home - all while running her own full time business - yet he did little but bully, criticise and sulk. The final straw for our beautiful friend was a suspected affair on the eve of her wedding; she packed up her clothes and walked away with practically nothing.

This blog is dedicated to her strength and courage. Love and loss. And new beginnings.

We served:

• Cheese platter with goat's brie, quince paste, sourdough, olive oil/balsamic, grapes, and rosemary crackers (pictured)


• Gently poached/steamed salmon in a mix of ginger, spring onions, soy, sesame oil, garlic and brown sugar (one dessert spoon of each + extra soy), served over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes (8 steamed peeled potatoes, mashed with 2 tbs butter and whipped with enough cream for a soft consistency) + steamed asparagus (raw sliced spring onions sprinkled over at the end), sprinkled with lemon juice


• White peach and macadamia crumble - Tim's family's orchard peaches chopped and layered in a baking dish, sprinkled with a mix of (2 tbs each): plain flour, chopped butter, brown sugar, quinoa flakes/oats, chopped macadamias, shredded coconut - then baked in the oven til golden brown.