Spring. For me it’s about feeling the sun on my face. Shedding a few layers of clothing and watch all the flowers blossom.

And I get terribly excited about the fresh produce. First the wild garlic, then the asparagus, rhubarb and new potatoes.

At the moment we can enjoy all these things and it makes me rather giddy with happiness! FINALLY winter (although it wasn’t an awful one in London this year) is over!

To celebrate the arrival of Yorkshire rhubarb to the shops a few weeks ago I made a lovely puff pastry tart with pink lovely rhubarb (cooked just enough to still be a little firm) and a glorious custard. Eating this in the sunshine makes me so happy!

Custard rhubarb tarte, serves 6-8

Translated from and adapted after Tidningen Hembakat’s recipe.

1 roll all butter puff pastry

Custard (oven proof):

1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla

300 ml milk

50 g caster sugar

3 egg yolks

50 ml corn starch 

25 g butter

Warm milk, sugar and vanilla in a nonstick saucepan. Mix the egg yolks with corn starch in a bowl. Add the warm milk to the egg mixture a little by little. Then return the mixture to the saucepan and warm on medium heat until the mixture has thickened, approx 2 minutes. Whisk continuously. Remove from the heat and stir on the butter. Pour into a bowl, cover with cling (all the way down on the mixture) and leave to cool. 

400 g rhubarb, trim the ends

200 ml water

200 ml caster sugar

Cut the rhubarb into 4 cm long pieces and place in an ovenproof sig with sides. Bring sugar and water to the boil in a saucepan. Pour the syrup over the rhubarb and place in a 100C oven for 20 minutes. Leave to cool completely. 

Assembly: 

Roll out the puff pastry and place on a parchment paper lines baking sheet. Cut a thin incision only along the surfaces of the dough, approx 2 cm in from the edge, all around the dough. Prick the dough inside of the “frame” with a fork. Pre-bake the dough for approx 7 minutes (it should bake a bit but not colour) in a 200C oven. 

Remove from the oven and spread a thick layer of custard onto the dough inside the “frame” and place the rhubarb pieces on top with a little space in between. Bake for another 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven. Leave to cool and dust with icing sugar before cutting into smaller pieces and serving.