Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Some of my earliest memories include spending hours and hours running between the rows of vegetables at the community garden as I chased butterflies. While my grandparents were prolific farmers with acres and acres of their own in North Dakota, my parents just didn't have the space for a garden in our yard at the trailer park. But, the community garden worked just fine for raising corn, potatoes, and carrots.
And rhubarb.
Treat rhubarb like you would celery. Don't eat the leaves, just the stalk.
I never liked rhubarb when I was a kid. My mom liked it so much she would eat it raw. While that thought is enough to make me gag, I have learned that rhubarb can be absolutely amazing when prepared correctly. Given that my mom could barely boil hot dogs without setting the house on fire, it makes sense that I never quite learned to appreciate the uniquely beautiful fruit while she was in charge of creating dishes.
But now? Oh, now I'm trying to figure out a way to put rhubarb in everything. I suspect that Nutella and rhubarb would get along fabulously in some sort of cupcake. I want to pour a rhubarb compote over pancakes. I'm ready to try pairing rhubarb with blackberries. Soon, I will. In the meantime, this recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp is a conservative way of getting a little of the tangy fruit. It's an amazing dessert, especially when paired with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
2 cups diced rhubarb (approximate 5-7 average size stalks)
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the diced rhubarb, sliced strawberries, white sugar, and corn starch in a 9x13" baking dish. Spread the mixture evenly across the baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine the oatmeal, butter, brown sugar, and flour. (A hand mixer works well. Or your hands. Frankly, crisp recipes are crazy forgiving. You can do whatever you want and they still turn out fantastic.)
Sprinkle the oatmeal mixture over the fruit.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
It's incredible served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. INCREDIBLE.
Excuse me while I got eat a piece right now . . .
Recipe
Reader Comments (11)
What exactly does rhubarb taste like?
@Andrea--It's a little sour, but in a pleasant way. Kind of like sour candy.
I haven't had rhubarb in eons. I had a great aunt who used to grow it and make a weird variety of things with it. I always liked the sweet/tart combo when she paired it with other fruits but I remember it being too tart without the other fruit to mellow it. Of course, that was many years ago and my opinion might be very different.
I want that. NOW. Looks SO good! I've only had rhubarb pie and it as too tart for me but coupled with the strawberries I might be able to handle it better.
I'm seriously going to make this! YUM! Thanks for the recipe.
@Michelle Smiles--I really HATED it as a kid. Definitely something I grew up to appreciate, though.
@Elaine--Rhubarb either needs a ton of sugar or to be paired with something to balance the tart. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is one of the greatest inventions of mankind. Just plain Rhubarb Pie, though? BLECH!
Every time I hear "rhubarb" I think of this story about the first time I had rhubarb pie. Jim and I were at my parents and they brought out the pie. Jim asked my dad how rhubarb is grown, and he said "in the dirt" as I took a bite. Without thinking, I said, "I think I can still taste the dirt". Everyone cracked up. It was one of those moments where you know you shouldn't say something, but your mouth doesn't listen to your brain.
Strawberry-Rhubarb pie was my grandfather's favorite. Every year for Father's Day, we'd make Pap a pie and buy him Strawberry-Rhubarb preserves at the farmer's market or Trax Farms. He would've loved this recipe! I'm going to make it and think of good times. :-)
My husband and I love Rhubarb... Have a few bags all cut up in the freezer, from my cousin's garden, just waiting to be made into a Crisp. Will try this recipe tonight. Thanks
I am so sad that my sister is allergic to strawberries. I *always* share the good recipes with her. I will cry tears for her as I bake me my own panful this weekend. Sigh.
Are the fruit measurements correct on this? I made it this evening and the fruit looked very scant! Smells yummy though; might just need LOTS of ice cream!
@Lea--Yup. I double-checked them, even. But, crisp recipes are crazy forgiving, so you could always double (or even triple) the fruit if you wanted to. I'm a big fan of the crunchy topping. :-)