Rhubarb fresh from the garden and a Rhubarb Charlotte recipe.

 We always look forward to

June in the garden when the rhubarb is just right for harvesting.  This rhubarb came with the farm!  We moved in too late to enjoy it last year, but have had several cuttings in the last couple of weeks.

 The color is sublime.

 This batch will be perfect for a Rhubarb Charlotte from The Art of British Cooking.

 Rhubarb leaves are toxic and should not be eaten.

 This will be more than enough for the recipe, which calls for a pound of rhubarb.

Rinse thoroughly.  You'll need approximately 3 cups of rhubarb, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 cups of plain breadcrumbs, 1/4 teaspoon of grated nutmeg and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.

Chop the rhubarb into small pieces.

Cook the rhubarb with a small amount of water and almost all of the sugar.  You'll need to save a small bit of sugar to scatter over the top of the charlotte.

Boil the mixture until the rhubarb is soft.

Mash the mixture when ready.

Butter a small baking dish and coat with breadcrumbs.  Add the nutmeg to the remaining breadcrumbs.

Add the lemon juice to the rhubarb mixture and layer with the remaining bread crumbs ending with a bread crumb layer.

Sprinkle with the remaining brown sugar and dot with butter.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until light brown.

Enjoy while warm; perhaps even with a dollop of whipped cream!