Rhubarb and strawberry jam

I knew what I was doing for dinner (Nigella's Express chilli) but I didn't know what to do for pudding - it is a weekend so I do try to actually do something pudding-y rather than providing yoghurt. I had bought a pack of Sainsbury's value strawberries yesterday and got them out of the fridge. Some were very overripe, some under... not very promising. And then I remembered the rhubarb I had liberated from the feral allotment a few days ago and frozen. So, on a whim...

..... I decided to make microwave jam. I've never made microwave jam before, but didn't let that bother me. So I cooked the rhubarb with a little ginger, added the strawberries, lemon and sugar, took out the ginger and microwaved again. At about the time the jam boiled over I decided it had reached setting point. In the meantime I had sterilised a few jars, but none of this really addressed pudding. Until I remembered the ready made sweet pastry flan case I bought, on a whim, a few weeks ago. Jam tart. Delicious!

And an extra 3 jars of jewel-coloured home made jam. Made in around 25 minutes.

Occasionally, I feel like a proper Mum!

colourful food!

S6300024,
originally uploaded by curvyjax.

I'm on a diet - need to kick my bad eating habits up the arse again. Although when a salad looks this pretty, it's not so bad. I grated some fresh beetroot from the allotment into this brown rice and raw veg salad, and it's made the rice a very pretty pink. A feast for the eyes, even if it isn't as satisying as chocolate!