It is the time of year were pale pink petioles of early rhubarb begin to appear in greengrocers.

Rhubarb is grown in dark heated tunnels at this time of the year, hence the paleness of the colour, and Yorkshire is the biggest producer in the country.

In summer, rhubarb abounds in most English gardens and allotments and it is of a deeper red once it matures.

In Britain it is considered a vegetable whereas in the US it is consider a fruit. I was in the States the first time I tried rhubarb, and, I must admit, I was not very taken by it.

It was also in the States when once, whilst working on a big catering job in a beautiful Connecticut mansion for my sister-in-law, that I met Martha Stewart.

We were all lying down in the kitchen floor when the long day on our feet had finally ended, and we had our legs high against the wall to rest them when she walked in to congratulate Jane on the beautiful food.

Martha Stewart is America’s version of a domestic goddess, and I have used a lot of her recipes throughout the years.

This particular recipe with rhubarb is my favourite, it is light and delicious, full of transition flavours, wintry orange and spring rhubarb, adding the summer raspberry from the freezer to make it into a winner.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 2/3 cup soft brown sugar
• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup jumbo oats
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts, skinned, toasted, and chopped (optional)
• 1 punnet frozen raspberries

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl combine rhubarb, soft brown sugar, and the zest and juice of the orange. Stir well making sure the sugar dissolves. Add the frozen raspberries and set aside.

In another bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon and rub the butter with your fingers into the spiced flour mixture, until it has incorporated. Slowly add the oats and the hazelnuts and crumble together.

Using a baking dish of your choice, scatter the rhubarb/berry mixture and cover with the crumble topping. Bake until the topping is golden brown and crisp and the lovely juices are sipping and bubbling through the top. Serve warm with your choice of cream, custard, or vanilla ice cream.

- Florencia Clifford is a zen cook and the author of Feeding Orchids To The Slugs: Tales Of The Zen Kitchen. For more, visit feedingorchidstotheslugs.wordpress.com