Rhubarb and Berry Compote and a Veggie Plot Update - Plus 2 Easy Recipes!

I love rhubarb season!

Keep reading for this scrumptious recipe!

When we bought our house 6 years ago we were delighted to find an established bed of rhubarb. Since we moved in, year after year, it has provided us with plenty of fruit. I have to admit that last year we neglected the veggie patch. This was due to time, there simply wasn't enough of it! But over the last couple of weekends the hubby and I have enjoyed taking time out in the garden. It has been hard work getting rid of all of the weeds but the end in sight. We only have one more raised bed to weed then it will all be about planning what to grow. Last weekend I spent some time focusing on the rhubarb bed. It had started to shoot and was flowering so I cut them off, had a good harvest and am hoping that this will encourage even more fresh growth. A couple of years ago the hubby built a fruit frame for our soft fruit, which at first did a fantastic job. But due to the neglect of the past year the raspberry canes in particular really took over. They had grown so tall they had broken through the mesh that we put up to stop the birds getting the berries and it really did look a mess. So, while I was weeding and sorting the rhubarb out, the hubby ripped all of the mesh off, trimmed the raspberry canes, blackcurrants and red currants, which had also become huge. We now have an accessible path through the fruit frame and are planning to create a path around the back so that we can harvest the currants easier. Looking at the amount of green berries that are on both plants I can see that there will be plenty to harvest and use in recipes! Next weekend we are planning a shopping trip to buy some vegetable plants. We are too late for seeds but we are still have time to sow plants. At the moment we are planning on getting some courgette plants, peas, edamame beans and maybe even a pumpkin for autumn. I will be keeping you up to date with how it all goes as I have loved being back in the garden. Not only do I enjoy time outside and getting back to nature but it also works wonders for my mental health. I feel so much better after a day in the garden! Too much time in can get my anxiety and depression creeping back in.

Now on to today's recipe. After my tidy up of the rhubarb bed I had plenty to use. So instead of making a plain rhubarb compote I had a look through the fridge and found some berries that needed using and some bananas that were ripe and I came up with this deliciously versatile compote.

This is what I did...

Rhubarb and Berry Compote

Ingredients

500g fresh rhubarb, chopped

300g mixed berries, I used strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries

2 oranges, juiced

4 bananas, 2 mashed and 2 sliced

3 tbsp honey, I used heather honey

Method

1 - Place the rhubarb in a pan along with the berries and the juice of the 2 oranges

2 - Over a medium heat, gently bring to the boil

3 - Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes

4 - Add the mashed banana and the sliced banana and mix thoroughly, the ripe bananas will add some natural sweetness to the fruit

5 - Cover the pan and leave to simmer for a further 10 minutes

6 - Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the honey and leave to cool

Now you have the base for lots of lovely recipes.

So far I have made the following 2 recipes...

 Breakfast Pot

Meringue Mess

For the breakfast pot simply place a generous layer of the rhubarb and berry compote in a pot, top with a layer of a yogurt of your choice, I used a dairy free almond yogurt, finished with a topping of bircher oats. This has become my favourite breakfast to take to work for the morning!

If you are wanting an evening treat then my meringue mess is what you need! Simply spoon some compote into a bowl, top with some ice cream, I chose strawberry ice cream, drizzle over a little more compote and crumble a meringue nest over the top then enjoy!

This is a truly versatile compote that also keeps well in the freezer. I made these 2 treats, 4 servings, and have got 4 bags in the freezer for another day!

How would you use this compote?

Enjoy x

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