We had the opportunity to be on Hello Iowa again today. Megan is so wonderful to be with! You can check it out here. Thanks again for having us. This is a favorite recipe we love that gets us in the mood for summer!
This time of year, it is such fun to find rhubarb surprisingly growing and ready to be picked. I am truly not a huge rhubarb fan; however, when it grows and grows in your backyard, I figured surely we could find a use for it? Well, once strawberries are added – then, it’s a game changer. This crisp is light, warm, and sweet – even better with vanilla ice cream.
Strawberries and rhubarb are just one of those combos that work together. About five years ago, when we moved to our house, that Spring, I discovered we had rhubarb growing next to our garage. I had no idea what to do with rhubarb!?! I don’t care much for it by itself – but I have been surprised (and delighted) what adding strawberries can do for it.
I found this recipe several years ago from one of my favorite chefs, Ina Garten. The secret ingredient with this crisp is the…orange juice! It helps to enhance the rhubarb without overpowering the flavor of the strawberries. This recipe is easy and wonderful and after you bake it, your home will be filled with a fantastic aroma. Serve warm with ice cream and it’s the perfect way to end the day!
Now that we are getting closer to Summer, ’tis the season of all of those favorite crisps, cobblers, and pies that we can make from all of the fresh fruits and vegetables we have here in Iowa. Enjoy!
- 4 c. fresh rhubarb, 1 inch diced
- 4 c. fresh strawberries, hulled and halved / quartered
- ½ c. sugar
- 1 T. cornstarch
- ½ c. orange juice
- For the crisp:
- 1 c. all purpose flour
- ¾ c. light brown sugar, lightly packed
- ½ c. sugar
- ½ t. kosher salt
- 1 c. oatmeal
- 8 T. cold unsalted butter, diced
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- For the fruit, toss the rhubarb, strawberries, ½ c. granulated sugar in a large bowl.
- In a measuring cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice and then mix it into the fruit. Pour the mixture into an 8 x 11 inch baking dish.
- For the topping, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, ½ c. sugar, the 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 in crumbles. Sprinkle the topping the fruit, covering it completely, and bake for 1 hour, until the fruit is bubbling and topping is golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream.
