The Weekly Feed: Sweet and Sour Edition
Strawberry rhubarb crisp (Alicia Mazzara)
The glorious rhubarb is a sorely under-appreciated plant. Rhubarb isn't easy to love at first -- you have to get to know it. On the surface, rhubarb is pretty unappetizing. Its dark green leaves contain poisonous levels of oxalic acid, and the stalks, while edible, are stringy, sour, and have an unfortunate laxative effect when eaten raw. Only when sugar became affordable in the 17th century did people start to eat rhubarb, but even today it is certainly not the star of the produce aisle. This is a shame, because rhubarb mellows with cooking, becoming soft, juicy, and tangy. Paired with other fruits, rhubarb adds a new dimension to pies and cakes.
Late spring is the start of rhubarb season, and I've recently spied the long red stalks popping up at Giant and the Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market. Rhubarb is only in season during the summer, so be sure to take advantage of it while it lasts. It's fabulous in strawberry rhubarb pie, but I find that I don't always have the time or patience to fiddle with a pie crust. Instead, I like to make what I think is the next best thing: strawberry rhubarb crisp. You'll find an easy recipe below.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Filling:
1 lb strawberries, stems removed and cut into quarters
1/2 lb rhubarb, cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon corn starch
Topping:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, toss fruit with sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and corn starch until well coated. Pour fruit into an 8"X8" square baking dish.
2. In a small bowl, combine butter, oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, mash together all ingredients together until it forms moist clumps. The mixture is ready when there are no more visible pieces of butter or flour.
3. Sprinkle chunks of topping over the surface of the fruit. Bake until top is browned and fruit is bubbling, about 25 - 30 minutes.
Small Bites
Taste the Suburbs
Spend Sunday afternoon eating your way through the Taste of Wheaton or Taste of Arlington. Both festivals will feature live music, kids activities, and samples from local restaurants. This year, Taste of Wheaton will also be rolling out an Ethnic Food and Wine Tasting Pavilion, featuring dishes by our favorite Top Chef-testant, Carla Hall. Tickets for the pavillion are $15 for a flight of wine and samples. Tickets for Taste of Arlington are $25 for eight tastings, with proceeds benefitting Community Residences.
Seventh-Day Adventists love vegetables
Capital Memorial Church in Van Ness will be holding their annual vegetarian festival on Sunday. Church members will be serving up an array of international veggie and vegan dishes. Admission is $10 (children 10 and under get in for free), all you can eat.
Openings
Eatonville, the latest offering by Busboys and Poets owner Andy Shallal, opened its doors on Tuesday. The restaurant is named after Zora Neal Hurston's hometown and features Southern home cooking. Prince of Petworth has some sweet shots of the interior.
Blue Ridge Restaurant in Glover Park is opening next week. Chef Barton Seaver, previously of Hook, will be serving classic American dishes with a focus on sustainablity, and Justin Guthrie, one of the founders of Hummingbird to Mars, will be mixing punches and other craft cocktails behind the bar. Capital Spice has a first look with photos.