All things Rhubarb and a twist on Welsh Rarebit

Apparently final year of university isn't compatible with much. At least, my knitting has slowed almost to a standstill, I've barely been bellringing more than a couple of times a month since Christmas, pub trips are at a minimum, and I haven't even been popping to my friends' for a coffee and a chat on a whim any more! And of course, my fledgeling blog barely got started before having to go on hold.

One thing you can be sure of though, is that I do still eat, and eat fabulous food at that (in case that intimidates some people - don't worry, I still have supernoodles and beans on toast days). After all, we all have to eat, so we might as well take the absolute maximum pleasure from it. Which is possible even without much time.

It was with this philosophy that I took a rare afternoon off yesterday to head over to Wakefield for the annual Rhubarb festival with two of my coursemates. Surprisingly, I hadn't even heard of it, and S and J had been intending on going for the past 3 years and so far failed. I picked up some lovely bits and pieces. It being a rhubarb festival, I of course got some of the obligatory Yorkshire forced rhubarb, although I haven't yet decided what to do with it. I've also been introduced to the following revelations: 

Rhubarb vinegar - as light as rice vinegar, and as sweet as balsamic. I've got so many ideas for what to do with this I think I'm going to be using it every time I cook for the next two months.

Rhubarb and pork pies - that is, like a normal pork pie with a layer of stewed rhubarb on top. Fab combination.

Rhubarb in cocktails - we went to the cocktail demonstration and I'm now especially a fan of the one S and I helped demonstrate, which consisted of rhubarb puree, cointreau, juice of half a lime, gin, and topped up with soda water. 

Smoked goats cheese - ok, so it's not rhubarb, but I'd never had it before. The combination that is. I've had smoked cheese AND goats cheese before.

Spicy hawthorn sauce - see above.

I ended up combining a few of those into tonight's tea - which because I've been studying most of the day and will be again tomorrow, needed to be quick, comforting and tasty. The result is below*.

(Wakefield) Welsh Rarebit (with Smoked Goats Cheese, Rhubarb and Hawthorn)

Serves 1 reasonably hungry person, as long as you're not too concerned about the amount of fat you're eating. 

(Ok, my photography needs work. But hey, it is really just glorified cheese on toast...)

If you don't have access to rhubarb vinegar, then balsamic vinegar would be good too. If you don't have either then you'll come up with something. If you really can't, email me and I'll help you out.

1 large flat mushroom, sliced thinly

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp rhubarb vinegar

1 tsp cornflour

1/6 of a pint of milk

A large handful of grated mature cheddar

2 slices brown bread

A few slivers of goats cheese, smoked or unsmoked.

2 tbsp low-flavoured oil, e.g. sunflower, vegetable, rapeseed etc.

Salt and pepper

Hawthorn or brown sauce to serve.

Heat 1/2 the oil in a large ovenproof non-stick frying pan. When hot, turn the heat down to medium and place your mushroom slices in, making sure they all touch the bottom of the pan and are not overlapping each other. When they start going brown on that side, turn them over and cook for another couple of minutes until they are brown on both sides.

Remove the mushrooms from the pan, and add the onions. Fry on a low-medium heat. As they begin to brown, add the water and the vinegar. Continue to cook until the onions are just softening.

Turn off the heat and sprinkle over the cornflour. Mix well, ensuring the onions are coated and the flour is mixed into any remaining oil. Add the milk, and place back on a low heat. Keep stirring as it thickens, and when it has thickened add the grated cheddar. Mix until melted, smooth and glossy.

Remove from the heat again. Layer the bread with the mushrooms, and then spread the cheese and onion mixture over the top, spreading it right into the corners of the bread and covering the mushrooms. Make sure you get as much of the sauce out of the pan as you can - you still need it. Place your slices of goats cheese on top and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Heat the rest of the oil in the frying pan on a high heat, and when hot place the loaded bread slices unloaded side down in the oil. Fry for 30 seconds, and then place under a hot grill for 2 minutes. (If you'd prefer not to fry the bread as well, then toast your bread lightly and place them on a grill pan. I was a) trying to save on washing up and b) forgot to toast my bread.)

Serve with a dollop or a drizzle of sauce. And if you've got some in, maybe a bowl of salad dressed in some more rhubarb vinegar to balance all that fat...

Enjoy curled in a corner on your own, jealously guarding from anyone who may walk by. 

* It seems ridiculous writing a recipe for Welsh Rarebit - its one of these things that I do completely differently every time, because virtually everything in that recipe list you can substitute, or even not use, and you can do it in so many different ways. However, this one was especially good, so I thought I'd share. 

But not the one I cooked, oh no, that one was all mine.