Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

One of the best things about summer (and hooray! We are actually getting one this year!) is the bountiful harvest of my parents garden.  I really wish that I had started one, however it's been so crazy here these last few months so I have high hopes for starting one next year!  In the meantime, my fridge is stocked with large amounts of lettuce, radishes, rhubarb, and garlic scapes.  Sometimes I feel like a rabbit, and simply overwhelmed with the amount we have to eat. But it's forcing me to eat well and locally-and for that I am grateful :).

I have never been a huge fan of rhubarb so I wasn't sure how to use it up.  My mom makes this wonderful strawberry-rhubarb sauce for pancakes and waffles that she used to serve to us when we were kids.  However, trying to get the recipe from her is like pulling teeth!  So I went browsing through my cookbooks and found one for this crisp.  I haven't made a one in years so I thought it would be appropriate.  The results: a delightful tasting dessert with a surprising hint of citrus.  I felt that the citrus added a little extra flavor to the dish and complimented it well.  This dessert is best served warm with lots of vanilla ice cream..yum!!

I have still a lot of rhubarb left.  What do you guys like to use rhubarb for?  I am sure I will think of something and will be back with more recipes to share with you all!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

4 cups fresh rhubarb, 1 inch diced

4 cup fresh strawberries, hulled & halved, if large

1 ¼ granulated sugar

1 ½-2 teaspoons grated orange zest

½-1 tablespoon cornstarch*

½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 cup all purpose flour

½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup quick-cooking (not instant) oatmeal

1 stuck (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, diced

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

DIRECTIONS

*Note-the amount of cornstarch you need depends on the juiciness of the berries and the ripeness of the rhubarb. Ie.-green rhubarb has more pectin, so the juices will set better.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl,  toss the rhubarb, strawberries, granulated sugar, and orange zest together. In a measuring cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice and mix into the fruit. Pour the mixture into an 8X11 inch baking dish and place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, brown sugar, salt and oatmeal. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter and mix until the dry ingredients are moist and the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, making sure to cover it completely. Bake for 1 hour, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.

Best served warm with ice cream.

Source: slightly adapted from Barefoot Contessa's How Easy is That? by Ina Garten