what a great partnership!

And no we are not talking about the madcap cartoon characters from days of old but those good old staples of school lunches. However, rhubarb is a much more versatile veg than you think (yes, it is a vegetable!) and, if you step away from the traditional puddings it also makes a wonderful addition to savoury dishes.

This unsung hero of spring was first introduced to Britain in the 17^th century when its roots were used for medicinal purposes but it wasn’t until the 18^th century that it started to appear in recipe books.

We have taken this humble veg and roasted it slowly (with a very light dusting of icing sugar) to add to our starter salad, pairing it with roast fennel and zingy grapefruit for a refreshing taste. If you wanted to make this at home, it would make the perfect partner to sardines grilled on the barbeque.

If you do have a sweet tooth then we also love poaching it gently (we find a ratio of 100g sugar to 600g of trimmed rhubarb stalks works well to give it a sweetness without losing the zing) and serving it with yoghurt for a light breakfast.

What are your favourite ways to cook with rhubarb? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter and share your tips #seasonalstar

Take a look at our set menu here…