Sophie Dahl’s Eton Mess and Watermelon Radishes
Sunday, we picked up our eggs from Robert. Three dozen to be exact. Oh yes, we go through eggs like crazy around here. M. loves her egg in the morning, oozing runny yolk and all. I have lots of baking planned for the week and the farmers market was my stop to get all my provisions.
We had a big dinner planned so lunch was simple. Roasted tomatoes, blue cheese and sliced watermelon radish with yogurt and dijon dressing. Something light and quick to keep us going.
But then came dessert.
Searching for inspiration, I laid out cookbooks and magazines on the living room floor. Sometimes just browsing through UK’s Country Living and definitely Elle À Table, I get a surge of ideas coming through me. Then I glanced over to my right and I saw the back of Sophie Dahl’s “Voluptuous Delights”. There it was. The white and rose rhubarb eton mess with crushed up meringue, a wave of heavy cream and poached rhubarb. Such beautiful color.
I thought of the rhubarb I had in the fridge. The first rhubarb of the season. I had stewed it for breakfast that morning and still had some leftovers.
That photo was just too tempting.
Whipped the egg whites and slowly baked the meringue mounds until crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Served with lightly whipped cream and the stewed rhubarb.
It didn’t even make it to dinner. A mid afternoon sweet snack. Just because.
Eton Mess with Rhubarb
adapted from Sophie Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights
3 egg whites
3/4 cup caster sugar
pinch of salt
Whip the egg whites until light and fluffy. Slowly sprinkle in the caster sugar and salt while whipping. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spoon out the meringue forming 6 mounds. Bake at 250F for 1 hour.
Stewed Rhubarb
8 oz rhubarb, diced
1/4 cup cane sugar
1 lemon, juice and zest
Cut the rhubarb into pieces and toss them with sugar, lemon juice and zest. Cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Do not cook it to mush and keep pieces whole.
Serve the meringue with whipped cream and the stewed rhubarb on top.
so beautiful aran, oh radishes how i love them so! so glad that you can have dairy again. elle would love Eton mess
i love everything in and about this post… the look of watermelon radishes, rhubarb in every which way, meringues, l’econome knives, elle à table, blue and white. just gorgeous, tempting and sweet as always.
I saw some rhubarb at the supermarket this week and was giddy with excitement too. Beautiful. What I love about your images is that everything looks so natural!
I love it Aran! the pictures are amazing like always :)
Fantastic! I cannot wait to buy the first Swiss rhubarb.
Cheers,
Rosa
You are such an inspiration! Love your photos/recipes. I can’t wait for spring rhubarb :)
Espectacular, no he probado aún los ruibarbos, pero en cuánto los vea los compro.
Las fotos son preciosas.
saludos
Envious of the signs of spring- rhubarb and radishes.
I love watermelon radishes and introduce people to them whenever I can, they are just so pretty and tasty.
beautiful!!
Gorgeous photos as always! I love the radish :)
Gorgeous post from start to finish! Beautiful rhubarbs make me so happy. I wonder what your lavish dinner was…
Nadia- i have been introducing it in small amounts. So far so good. Having more tests done this week so we will see what dr says then! :)
Dancing Branflake- it was a crab, asparagus and avocado salad, watercress risotto and a whole roasted chicken with potatoes. we were stuffed!
Thanks all!
Gorgeous. I once had watermelon radish and was so impressed by the colors and flavor…have never seen them again. I wish I was your neighbor!
I just read another post for Pavlova, I guess the meringue is a popular one that I have never tried. It is inspiring me to give the meringue thing a chance. Of course with photos like that, who wouldn’t be salivating right now!
Those radishes are lovely! I am envious that you already have rhubarb. Beautiful colors as always.
The soft yet vibrant colors in your food photography makes me jealous :(
Kudos!
Oh my goodness! This looks amazing. I do not eat eggs, but I want to make this based solely on the fact of how beautiful it looks. Beautiful photos, too!
Everything’s too beautiful and precious to eat! Why do I have to put up with college dorm food? Such a contrast…
Izugarrizko bloga, asko gustatxen zait. Pura delicia. Gorgeous.
these look amazing! and so simple. i will have to try!
tus niños están creciendo con la mejor cultura culinaria del mundo, zelako sorte ona!
I have just ordered some watermelon radish seeds online. Too excited. Beautiful as ever.
Miss T xx
Your photographs are so beautiful and joyful. I can’t wait until I spot my first rhubarb of the season. Would also love to see pictures of the crab, asparagus and avocado salad. Yum!
Zer dira horrek barrita luzeak eta gorriak?
Aran, lehengo egunean zure lehengusina Beagaz egon nintzen, noiz-behinka txokolatezko palmera erosten dot Igorreko pastelerian. Nire beharlekuaren aurrean dago, eta handik pasakeran ezin eutsi tentazinoari, ummmmmm gozo!!!!!
Miren Bego- hori ruibarbo da. EHen ez dot inoz ikusi baina hemen udabarri hasierako barazki bet da. Bai, barazkie da baina sarroten postreetan erabilten dana. Izetez garratza da baina azkeragaz prestetarakoan, gozo gozo geratzen da.
Eta Bea… ba bai. Majisima da ha be. Besarkada bat!
Thanks all!
belle! où sont vos serviettes de table et la nappe à partir de? merci! Katie
glass-of-fashion.blogspot.com
I absolutely love rhubarb!
Just beautiful, good choice with the dessert, I love Sophie :)
Golly, my rhubarb is still so green! Pink inside, some, and still edible… but so hard to photograph!
Fantastic blog and photos! My compliments!
Hmmm…. I was thinking about rhubarb lately myself.
Beatiful Aran! We go through eggs like it was our job :) We hope to have chickens one day soon so we can have them fresh daily!
I have not flipped through Sophie Dahl’s book but the cover alone is beautiful as, Im sure, are her recipes. Thank you for sharing!
Gosh.. I know sometimes we think food is down right pretty, but… that radish, is just adorable, the pastel hue’s…the desserts sounds wonderful…
I’ve never made or cooked rhubarb myself before… I’m a bit nervous.
Lovely! I wonder how you always eat so well with a little one of that age. Mine is just a bit younger than yours and we eat very quick things for dinner a lot. Things like broccoli quesadillas and simple carrot soup. I’m so envious!
oh how rhubarb is the first promise of warm weather…I hope it comes up here in maine sometime soon!
I really like Sophie Dahl, but I’m sure your pictures are far nicer. And I echo everyone on the radishes. So pretty.
So beautiful!
I love Sophie Dahls book, it’s very English Rose :)
The contrasting flavors and the photos are lovely!
Mmmm… I’m going to the store tomorrow to get groceries. I’m getting rhubarb. I’m making this amazing looking treat…. thank you, again.
xoxo
I had no idea she had a book out. Your images could certianly rival her ;)
So, so lovely! I really like Sophie Dahl. Have you gotten a chance to see her cooking show? Here is a clip of her cooking this very eton mess, very charming.
So happy it’s rhubarb season. The Eton mess looks perfect.
Solo he probado el ruibarbo en unos yogures que venden en Francia, pero aquí imposible de encontrarlo. Es una pena porque adoro su sabor y textura. Unas fotos de una delicadeza absoluta, como nos tienes acostumbrados.
Oh how I love rhubarb! And never heard about watermelon radish before! So beautiful. Sounds like a happy Sunday.
Cada semana entro aqui para sorprenderme…con cosas tan sencillas (aparentemente) haces unos platos divinos….y las fotos, las haces con luz natural pero en la calle? o al lado d euna ventana? o como consigues esa luz?
bss CarmenZH
Honestly good food- my oldest was a really good eater until he turned 4. Now he is really picky. So no, he didn’t eat the radishes or the blue cheese, but my little one eats everything in front of her! So far that is!
Golubka- thank you for the link! Going to watch it soon.
Monica- yo tampoco habia probado el ruibarbo hasta llegar a los EEUU.
Carmen- es luz de ventana!! :)
Thank you all!
All of this looks so beautiful and honest! I’ve never seen watermelon radishes before and will definitely be keeping an eye for the now. Are they similar in taste to regular radishes?
Harriet :)
Fresh and beautiful!
Me encanta tu blog. Siempre estoy pendiente de tus actualizaciones. A parte de las recteas, tengo el lujo de gozar de tus excelentes fotografias. Son divinas.
Un abrazo!
Harriett- i feel there are a bit sweeter and milder than regular radishes. love them.
thank you!
Beautiful Photos! Such a delicious looking meal!
So beautiful! I’ve had Sophie’s cookbook for probably a year or so now and I absolutely adore it.
hey, what a nice blog i fall over. Is this english?
beautiful photos and delicous food, I have to follow you to get daily cooking ideas. Greetings Sibylle
hey, what a nice blog i fall over. Is this english?
beautiful photos and delicous food, I have to follow you to get daily cooking ideas. Greetings Sibylle
Aran, echo de menos el ruibarbo. Cuando vivia en Florida lo usaba mucho para hacer postres pero aqui en Barcelona no lo encuentro. Todas tus recetas tienen una pinta espectacular.
Un abrazo!
I can;t wait for rhubard to start showing up at the market! This looks lovely. And I especially love those pretty radishes. So much spring in one post – but it’s still freezing here!!
Rhubarb Eton Mess – what more could a girl ask for! Can’t wait for my rhubarb to be here, still have about 3 feet (I kid you not) of snow on the ground so it’s a while away before I can make this – but I will!!
youre blog are so beutiful!
This looks very much like a Pavlova from New Zealand. Haven’t seen one with rhubarb before though!
Oh this looks just so delicous! Your pictures are very light and tasteful! It just makes me wish for the spring to come very soon!!!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Hug´s,
Verena
Wow, this looks amazing. I would kill for some rhubarb in Chicago right now! Thank you for sharing!
What a lovely weekend and a brilliant recipe for the first rhubarb of the season! I decided to throw my long stalks of rhubarb into a crumble that was certainly delicious, but this recipe is definitely fun and different, I look forward to trying it!!
Thanks!
No me extraña que no haya quedado nada, ¡qué delicia!. Me encanta el ruibarbo pero aqui no se consigue… Un beso.
bom dia,
gostei muito do seu blog e pelo que li… e nada melhor que o vinho para acompanhar as refeições bem preparadas…
Peço-lhe um um favor, que coloque o link do nosso blog no seu site para que as pessoas também possam conhecer mais sobre vinho…
Forte abraço
http://vinho-umritmodevida.blogspot.com/
It seems insufficient to just say beautiful…but this is – exquisite.
Hi/Bonjour,
I found your blog via Decor 8, everything is beautiful and looks delicious, very talented.Very uplifting Thanks!
We share few things too :) Gluten free, Basque (grands parents for me :), photography love, expat …:)
Nice to meet you Aran :)
We eat quite a number of eggs too, especially when I am baking. I have just about four egg whites in the fridge right now, after my weekend baking project. And I did see the first forced rhubarb stalks at the market.. I know this dessert is on its way. Thanks for the beautiful pictures.
this is the most beautiful post!
lovely blog – I’m following!
would love you to enter my amazing giveaway for a free meal at IDA restaurant:
http://thoroughlymodernmilly5.blogspot.com/2011/02/best-gievaway-yet-ida-restaurant-pasta.html
xx
I have that book and cannot wait to try some of the recipes – this eton mess looks beautiful, Aran! I love, love, love, rhubarb.
colors, colors, colors, waouh
pictures, waouh!
this blog…a smooth dream
Love rhubarb. Anything with rhubarb. Meringue with rhubarb? Yes, please. Beautiful photos as always.
Your blog is great and your pictures are gorgeous.
I love rhubarb too. Will try your recipe as soon as I got some.
I WISH there was some rhubarb around here. I’m so happy to see a rhubarb post, but I’m definitely going to have to wait a few more months… ah the cold white north and it’s lack of produce in the wintry months! Your pictures make it look exquisite!
Wow, what an amazing, AMAZING blog! Your photo’s are absolutely beautiful, I’m so inspired!
looks divine, love rhubarb and cant wait for it to be in season here. x
You have the most beautiful food blog I have ever seen! I’m not really a fan of rhubarb, but you make even that look appetizing!
I absolutely love the colors of your photos!
The Watermelon Radishes are beautiful! I will have to grow them this year…even just to look at them!
love, love the watermelon radishes. so freakin cool. also love an eton mess, though ironically neither sophie dahl nor I are ever likely to set foot in eton (she because it’s a boys only school, and I because I am far too low class!).
YUM!!! I think your pictures are worthy of an art book. Really, a total visual feast.
The dessert looks delightful, but honestly I am still stuck on your lunch…gorgeous produce and photos
oh yumm!! My mom always made a delicious strawberry rhubarb pie when I was a kid. Love the teal and red napkins!!
wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
amazing!
happy day
♥ ♥
Rosa
Hi Aran, everything looks so wonderful–your pictures are amazing and inspired me to get cooking! I live in Palm Beach county, too. What is your favorite farmer’s market? Thanks for the wonderful ideas!
Carin- i go to the west palm beach one on saturdays and the palm beach gardens one on sundays. there are vendors in both that i like. i have never been to the one in Miami but I’m sure it’s nice as well.
Thanks!
Beautiful pictures as usual… I think your dishes are too beautiful to be eaten!
beautiful as always!
You are my favorite blogger.
Wow. I never thought to have rhubarb in Eton Mess – such lovely colours – and the shades in those radishes! I made one Eton Mess with cocoa meringues, tinned pears (we were 10 days on an isolated coast on holiday – so no fresh fruit), chocolate sauce and cream – adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe and it was divine – kind of like a Pear Belle Helene. Saw Sophie Dahl’s book discounted yesterday – think I might have to go back and buy it now! Thanks.
Rhubarb offers such amazing colour to a dish. Meringues are great for a freefrom diet. I look forward to your next post.
As usual beautiful images and inviting food. Your props are stunning, they evoke dreamy nostalgic memories. My bowl would be just like the last picture!
Quick question – the eggs, they looked pale blue? is that just the reflection or a special type?
Vanessa @ foodopera
You write that you look through magazines and books to get inspired and ideas come rushing in. Well my dear, you must know, you are an inspiration to many of us. I love this post, the color of the rhubarb, your napkins, etc. If only I could grow rhubarb here in Mexico. I grew up eating it in Germany. It grew like a weed in our backyard.
Vanessa- those are indeed blue eggs. The chickens that lay them are called araucana. Thanks!
Love the pretty pink and white of this dessert. But most of all I love the pastel shades of your eggs! I love eggs myself and would be extra inspired if that was the palette that greeted me!
This is stunning, I feel a wave of ‘calm’ every time I visit your blog. What a gorgeous eton mess recipe.
Your photos are so beautiful. You can catch the light and show off all the colors. I wish that I had a little of your huge talent. I love the watermelon radishes.
Wow, they seems so charmingly!
Photos are lovely as usual :)
WOW impressed with the blue eggs, so I guess thats where the colour “Duck Shell Blue” comes from. I always wondered! I also wonder if we get them in NZ?
The strawberries and buttermilk are so charming. I’m won over by that. This whole menu is so fresh for spring.
I’m so happy rhubarb is in season again. The bright color, and sour taste immediately cheer me up. And so do you photo’s!
This is soooo beautiful!
http://www.aboutfoood.blogspot.com
Hi, Aran, I agree. Laying out cookbooks and even food magazines do give one a surge of ideas when you’re stumped with what to cook or prepare. So does your blog…always! Thanks for the ideas as well.
Great simple recipes. Refreshing roasted tomoatoes, blue cheese and sliced radish and a little guilty with the meringue :)
I stumbled upon your blog a few months ago and I love it! I appreciate all the gluten free recipes as I have been gluten free for about 3 years and have never felt better. Keep up the good work and I look forward to buying your cookbook at the end of the year :)
I’d never heard of a watermelon radish before – must hunt for some. I can always trust you for a new taste sensation!
Rhubarb just became available here, so I finally got to make this today, and it’s delicious!! Thank you, Aran!!
Many congratulations! I have enjoyed your uncomplicated inventiveness, the photos that just make me want to eat it NOW, and your happy view on life which shines through every recipe you devise and every post you write.
In short, it all makes me FEEL GOOD. What more can you ask?
[...] Last Sunday, as I was walking through the Ballard farmer’s market, I heard a vendor shout “first rhubarb of the season!”. Long green stalks with deep red tips. I couldn’t wait to get home to make a simple tart with it and to stew it for Eton mess. [...]