Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
For me, rhubarb lies in a section of food labeled “Unknown and unexplored.” This section of food is where the food I have never eaten, never cooked with or never bought belong; home to rocky mountain oysters, escargot, jack fruit, and a few other questionable foods, and I decided something as harmless as rhubarb didn’t belong here. It was time. I’ve heard of the beautiful combination that comes from strawberry and rhubarb and I felt a crumble was undaunting and a simple way to explore a new ingredient. So, that’s how this strawberry rhubarb crumble was born.
My mind has been going wild with excitement just thinking of all the dishes I can make with all the new produce coming into season. It was time to say goodbye to squashes, sprouts and, as much as I hate to say it, citrus, and time to say hello berries, fresh herbs, peaches, and tomatoes. My mouth waters just thinking about biting into a perfectly ripe peach from the market. Rhubarb is a spring vegetable, yes I said it, rhubarb is a vegetable. The more you know. The fresher you can find, the better. I was lucky enough to have a friend who has rhubarb growing in their yard, thanks Julie :)
Ingredients
Filling
3 cups fresh strawberries, cut into quarters
3 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inches
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp cornstarch
Crumble Topping
1 1/4 cup rolled oats
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
6 tbsp cold butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 and get out a deep baking dish, mine is about 8” and 5” deep.
In a bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling. Mix by hand and set aside. Leave them to marinate in their own juices.
In another bowl, combine all ingredients for topping except butter. Mix just so everything is evenly incorporated. Cut butter into tbsp sized cubes. WIth your thumb and pointer finger, rub butter into dry ingredients until you have small lumps ranging from tiny to pea-sized.
Pour filling into dish, liquid and all. Level and add crumble topping. Pack down topping and press into sides of the filling.
Place in oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. It is done when the sides are bubbling and the top is golden. Let cool slightly and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of fresh cream.