How vivid are the colours in nature! Just have a look at sunrise this morning. Isn’t it great that it’s finally light when we get up? In a couple of months we’ll curse being awake at 4am though, I bet we shall.

Last week I saw someone in Waitrose buying forced Yorkshire rhubarb. I’ve always thought that rhubarb might work instead of the apples in my favourite apple cake.

When I was young we used to have stewed rhubarb quite often as my dad grew it in the garden. I used to peel it to prepare it and I’d forgotten that the glorious pink is only skin deep. Today I decided I wasn’t going to peel the stems and just chopped them finely instead. Don’t they look gorgeous tossed with caster sugar here ready to be mixed in with the flour, butter and eggs?

Finally, the finished cake, studded with little cubes of rhubarb bloom. I am fasting today but still could not resist the temptation to have a tiny slice to sustain me at tonight’s latest contractors’ meeting. It is absolutely delicious in its tender tartness. I think using fresh ginger would enhance it further so I’ll remember to buy that next time.

I might be fasting tonight but tomorrow in TUESDAY BREAKFAST and I shall enjoy it all the more then.