Yorkshire Rhubarb

For us, this was the first taste of rhubarb of the season. I would have liked to have said that we had pulled it from our garden but unfortunately T destroyed the crowns by mistake last autumn! It tasted delicious, not quite as fresh as ours would have been, eaten with Greek yoghurt with honey.

However, Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb now has a Protected Designation of Origin award given by the European Commission's Protected Food Name Scheme.

It is grown commercially by twelve farmers in the Triangle of Wakefield, Leeds and Bradford. In the late 1800's there was a special express train from Ardsley Station to London carrying rhubarb from the many growers to Spitalfields and Covent Garden markets. Great quantities also travelled across the Channel to Paris in time for Christmas. This season lasted until Easter every year.

Rhubarb became less popular after the WWII when more exotic fruits and vegetables arrived in this country.

An interesting night - the cows and their calves decided to go on walkabout! So T and I in our night attire donned wax jackets and wellies, grabbed our sticks and were in hot pursuit! It was not without some difficulty that we managed to round them all up, making sure no calves were missing in the dark, and secured them in a small paddock. They were in seventh heaven this morning chewing the cud in the warm sunshine. We have decided to leave them there until they have eaten all the grass or it rains heavily!

Oh I nearly forgot! A Happy St Patrick's Day to you Irish!