Dish of the Week: Strawberry-rhubarb brown betty
If you’re anything like me, you’re taking advantage of the bounty of fruit currently in season. Peaches, nectarines, blueberries, watermelon, rhubarb and cherries are overflowing at the markets. And to my own surprise, even the normally bland Driscoll strawberries in the grocery store are sweet and flavorful.
Of course, all of these fruits are great on their own, unsullied by other ingredients. But sometimes it’s nice to doll them up for dessert. One of my favorites is strawberry-rhubarb brown betty — fruit baked with a topping of streusely oats, which is better known as a crisp. It falls in to a whole world of baked fruit topped with pastry with characteristics not well-defined for each name.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Brown Betty
adapted from More Food that Really Schmecks by Edna Staebler
Fruit layer:
1 quart strawberries, cut in to chunks
4 stalks rhubarb, chopped
Combine and mix with fruit in a 9-inch pie pan:
1/2 cup sugar (can be increased to taste)
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
Topping:
1 c. old-fashioned oats
1/2 c. white flour
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c. melted butter
Combine dry ingredients. Use hands to mix in melted butter, The goal is to have it crumbly moist. Cover all the fruit with the topping — it will be approximately 1/4-inch thick everywhere. Bake at 375°F for at least 40 minutes. The juices should be boiling when it’s done and the topping a deep brown.
Substitutions: 3-4 apples, peaches or nectarines, sliced
Small Bites
Free hoagies today
D.C. United is teaming up with Taylor Gourmet to offer free six-inch hoagies to fans during its Free Food Friday promotion. All you need to do is show up at Taylor’s 1116 H Street NE location between noon and 1 p.m. and your sandwich is on the house — you’ll also be able to enter to win United tickets and gear.
Belgian Restaurant Week
Belgian Restaurant Week kicks off July 15-21 with a variety of events and special menus at Belga Café, Brabo, Brasserie Beck, Et Voila!, Granville Moore’s, L’Ocolat, Le Pain Quotidien, Marcel’s, Marvin and Mussel Bar. The week celebrates Belgian cuisine and beer. For more details about dinners and special events, visit the Belgian Restaurant Week site.
Alliterative brunching
The ladies from Bitches Who Brunch are hosting a Summer Brunch Soiree at Ris on July 9 from noon-3 p.m. The event will raise money for the DC Farm to School Network, which advocates for local, sustainable foods in schools. The menu features bottomless mimosas and passed brunch foods, along with a fashion show and gift bags. Tickets must be purchased in advance, and are $47.12 (including service charge).
Tango on the Hill
Pitango Gelato is set to open a new location on Capitol Hill at 660 Pennsylvania Avenue SE on July 1. So if you’re hot and tired from the weekend’s festivities, stop by for some gelato or sorbetto.
