Rhubarb against the garden wallOk, so I admit I'm a learner. Gardening is something I'm planning to get better at. My training is going to be hands on, learn as I go and learning by my mistakes. Of course, I'll be doing my research - much of it on the internet and some of it from the few gardening books I've picked up on the journey to this new life on Orkney.
I have a little knowledge. My parents were keen gardeners and my grandfather grew vegetables between the rose bushes - WWII 'dig for victory' style. Not an inch of garden was wasted. As a child I helped in the garden. Hopefully some of what I learnt is tucked away in the back of my memory.
The sunshine is encouraging the rhubarb to rapidly grow.
We have an old walled vegetable garden. It's neglected and covered in ground elder but I did recognise the rhubarb crowns in the corner by the wall. The Biker Man and I love rhubarb. We've watched the dormant crowns start to sprout rosy buds, and over the last couple of weeks we've spotted the first leaves starting to unfurl. The sunshine last weekend and over the last couple of days has really encouraged new growth and we now have little stalks of rhubarb popping out from the crowns.
It feels like free food. We haven't done anything to help it grow. It has probably been in this garden for generations. Many Orkney gardens have a patch of rhubarb and it is a popular ingredient used by local jam makers.
To help make the best use of this delicious crop I've invested in a copy of Mary Prior's Rhubarbaria. This little cookery book is dedicated entirely to recipes which use rhubarb, describes the history of rhubarb and provides little anecdotes and snippets of information alongside the recipes. I think the old Icelandic recipe for Roast Puffin with Rhubarb Jam is a bit extreme (and I prefer my Puffins live and happily raising their young) but Rhubarb and Ginger Ice Cream is a definite possibility. These are recipes collected from all around the world. There are no pictures but I don't think this book needs any. It's so interesting that I just keep dipping into it.
So this year it's going to be rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb.
It feels like free food. We haven't done anything to help it grow. It has probably been in this garden for generations. Many Orkney gardens have a patch of rhubarb and it is a popular ingredient used by local jam makers.
To help make the best use of this delicious crop I've invested in a copy of Mary Prior's Rhubarbaria. This little cookery book is dedicated entirely to recipes which use rhubarb, describes the history of rhubarb and provides little anecdotes and snippets of information alongside the recipes. I think the old Icelandic recipe for Roast Puffin with Rhubarb Jam is a bit extreme (and I prefer my Puffins live and happily raising their young) but Rhubarb and Ginger Ice Cream is a definite possibility. These are recipes collected from all around the world. There are no pictures but I don't think this book needs any. It's so interesting that I just keep dipping into it.
So this year it's going to be rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb.
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