May Food Blog from our executive Chef David Gillott

May is the month when seasonal food gets really colourful, with peas, carrots and cherries coming into season, along with aubergines and rocket. The first of the new potatoes arrive, sardines and pollock are available too.

Fruit

Apricots Cherries (coming into season) Kiwi fruit

Vegetables

Asparagus Aubergines (in season from late May) Carrots (in season from late May) New potatoes (coming into season) Peas (coming into season) Peppers Rhubarb (end of season) Rocket (coming into season) Spinach Spring onions Watercress (coming into season)

Meat

Lamb Rabbit (available, but at its best Jul-Dec)

Fish and seafood

Crab Pollock (pollack) (in season from mid-May) Salmon Sardines (in season from end of May) Tuna

Rhubarb fool with lemongrass and white chocolate

Ingredients

For the rhubarb fool:

700g rhubarb 2 lemongrass stalks very finely chopped to almost a powder 100ml water 140g unrefined organic sugar 110g icing sugar 150ml crème fraîche (preferably organic) or 1 small carton 150ml mascarpone cream 4 tbsp white chocolate, grated or peeled into shavings

For the rhubarb:

lemonade 1 lemon, juice only 1 small glass sweet wine, optional

Method

Wash and trim, but do not peel the rhubarb. Cut into even chunks about 3cm/11⁄4in long and put into a warm pan with the water, sugar and the lemongrass. Cover and simmer until the rhubarb softens and breaks down - usually this takes about 10 minutes. Strain through a sieve, reserving all the juices and allow the rhubarb to cool down. Whisk the icing sugar into the mascarpone, then gently fold in the crème fraîche and half the rhubarb.

Divide the remaining rhubarb among four dishes or glasses and spoon the fool mixture on top. Allow to set and cool in the fridge. Serve with the chocolate shavings on top. For the rhubarb lemonade, pass the reserved rhubarb liquid through a fine sieve, then add lemon juice to taste. Add the sweet wine if you want to make it alcoholic and chill well in the fridge.

Serve in small iced glasses with the fool and some shortbread biscuits or Tuille biscuits.

David is our executive chef at The Great Big Event and can cater from intimate dinner parties in your home to weddings and events of all sizes. If you would like to discuss menu requirements please contact David on: chef@thegreatbigevent.com or call 0845 459 9812