Strawberry rhubarb crisp (Alicia Mazzara)Dish of the Week: Rhubarb
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.
