Rhubarb and custard

Well actually, that's not true. It was rhubarb and cheese, but somehow that doesn't have the same ring to it!

I spotted the 1st rhubarb of the season in the farm shop this weekend. It was a bright, deep pink and looked utterly gorgeous. I bought a handful on impulse without any idea what I was going to do with it.



When I got home I stewed it with a couple of tablespoons of sugar, and it came out an almost purple colour. I still wasn't sure what to do with it, until I realised I had a whole bottle of full-fat goats milk in the fridge and no plans for it (the slight tang of the goats curd rhubarb cheesecake that we had for pudding at The Plough in Kingham worked really nicely). I was then reminded that rhubarb and ginger is a sublime combination as I flicked past a rhubarb and ginger sponge recipe in one of my books.



So, a packet of ginger biscuits were procured from the village shop. 100g worth were bashed until they were crumbs (very theraputic - I recommend it!), mixed with melted butter (20g) and pressed into ramekins before being shoved into the fridge.

Then I made goats cheese (see here) and mixed it with 25g of icing sugar. That was piled on top of the biscuit base and smoothed out. I spooned a layer of stewed rhubarb over the top and shoved it all back in the fridge overnight. Et voila; an approximation of rhubarb cheesecake.

Well, mini rhubarb cheesecake pots at any rate.



And the taste test? Well, it wasn't lobster! But it was a pretty tasty pudd and very moreish. Yummy. A good alternative to crumble in rhubarb season.



To recap:
Mini Rhubarb and GoatsCheesecake pots
Serves 4

100g Ginger biscuits
20g butter

Approx 200g rhubarb
1 Dessertspoon caster sugar
175g Soft goats cheese or cream cheese
25g icing sugar

Slice rhubarb into chunks and put into a heavy pan with the caster sugar and a splash of water. Stew over a gentle heat until the rhubarb disintegrates (about 1/2 hour). Put aside to cool.
Put the biscuits inside a sandwich bag and bash with a rolling pin until they break up. You could process them in a food processor, but don't over whizz it as a bit of texture is good.
Melt the butter and mix with the biscuit crumbs. Divide between 4 smallish ramekins and press down. Refridgerate for at least an hour.
Mix the cheese and icing sugar. Spoon it on top of the biscuit base and spread it gently out.
Drain the rhubarb of any excess water then spoon the rhubarb mix on top of the cheese.
Refridgerate overnight.

Gobble.