For Christmas last year, my husband Marc asked Santa for an allotment. We used to have one back when we lived in Bristol, and Marc found visiting it especially soothing for his mental health.
Luckily, Santa came through – albeit a couple of months later – and Marc set to developing his new patch. Little did we know how valuable it would come to be in 2020.
There’s all sorts in the ground – much of it the sort of stuff that’s tricky to find in mainstream supermarkets, like chard, kohlrabi and romanesco. This will all help to keep our costs down and bellies full, as we deal with the realities of furlough-era incomes.
Already in the ground when we arrived were a few things we inherited, including a vast blackcurrant bush and a couple of rhubarb heads. Long story short, we now have a practically limitless supply of rhubarb. Unsure what to do with it (there’s only so many times you can make a crumble), I was inspired to have a go at making ice cream.
The no-churn method is one a friend suggested, and involves only double cream and a tin of condensed milk. Low-calorie it isn’t – but it’s low-effort, low-cost and totally flexible – so if you want to swap the rhubarb swirl for another fruit flavour, or crushed up ginger biscuits, go right ahead.
Prep time: 30 mins (+ freezing time)
Ingredients:
For the rhubarb swirl:
- Three spears of rhubarb
- 50g caster sugar
- Juice of one lime
- 1tsp honey
- 1tsp red food colouring (optional)
For the ice cream:
- 1 x tin sweetened condensed milk (£1.05/397g, Tesco)
- 300ml double cream (£1.05, Tesco)
- 2 x pieces stem ginger in syrup (optional)
Method:
- Chop the rhubarb into 1″/2cm pieces, then add to a saucepan with the sugar, honey and lime juice.
- Cook on a gentle heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly, until the rhubarb has disintegrated. Add a little water if you find the mixture is getting too thick.
- Transfer the rhubarb to a bowl and place in the fridge to cool completely. When the rhubarb is cool, stir through the food colouring if using – this is optional, but just intensifies the rhubarb’s natural pink colour.
- Using a food mixer, whisk the condensed milk and double cream for about 10 minutes on a high speed until you’ve formed reasonably stiff peaks. If using the stem ginger, chop this into fine pieces and add while mixing. (You can also add a tablespoon of the syrup, if you wish.)
- Add the ice cream mix to a freezer-safe container, then pour the rhubarb on top. Use a teaspoon to marble it through the ice cream, using slow, deliberate movements to avoid mixing it too evenly.
- Place into the freezer and leave for 4-6 hours, or overnight if possible.
The Spend-Shy Chef 