Fruit in Season in July

Apples

Cumquats

Custard Apples

Grapefruit

Lemons

Limes

Mandarins

Oranges

Papayas

Pears

Pineapples

Rhubarb

Tangelos

Rhubarb

Rhubarb looks like red celery and is botanically a vegetable. It’s available all year round but its peak season is between May and October. Look for glossy, firm, crisp stalks and fresh looking leaves. Even and well coloured stalks are often but not always a good sign of flavour. If the stalks are rough and stringy the rhubarb is probably too old. Keep in a vegetable storage bag in the refrigerator. Note that the leaves are poisonous.

Rhubarb has long been popular in pies, tarts, sauces, puddings, jams and jellies. It combines well with apples, butter, cinnamon, cream, ginger, sugar, vanilla and yoghurt. One favourite of mine is to make a winter ‘crumble’ by mixing uncooked rhubarb and apple with some sugar, ginger, cinnamon and cloves and top with your favourite crumble. Bake until the juices are bubbling and the topping is brown. Serve with hot custard and you’ll feel very satisfied with it and yourself.

Pureed Rhubarb

Like custard apple, rhubarb makes a wonderful ‘fool’. Just add pureed rhubarb to whipped cream and serve in a glass dish to show off the pretty pink swirls. It’s also great mixed with yoghurt for a zingy breakfast.

To puree rhubarb:

• Wash, dry and trim each stalk - it rarely needs stringing
• Cut into small even sections
• Place in a saucepan with just a few spoonfuls of water or orange juice, sugar to taste and a small section of vanilla bean.
• Cook over gentle heat, with the lid on, for about 10 minutes
• Keep checking because rhubarb cooks quickly and breaks into a soft puree once stirred.

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