Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

This summer I started a new garden in my front yard and the rhubarb is exploding. We’ve been picking it and experimenting with crisps of all combinations. Our favorite however, is the classic strawberry rhubarb. We waited until the farmers market was bursting with fresh ripe berries, and now we cannot stop making this amazing dish. I think we are getting invited to BBQs just in case we might bring our coveted crisp.

Don’t be afraid of the rhubarb, yes the leaves are poisonous, but you would have to sit down and eat a salad of them. Just trim that leaf off, toss it in the compost, and use the stalk like celery.

I wish I could tell you exactly how to make this, but it has been an experimental improvisation that I promise is always delicious. We started cooking one on a campout in a giant dutch oven, we tried a few pie crusts, and we landed on this crisp recipe I think you will enjoy. Go ahead, freestyle, and taste everything along the way to meet your desired level of sweetness. We like it tart so you may need to add more honey or sugar.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

1. The first step is to pick a vessel and begin by rubbing down the pan with butter or coconut oil, but never use vegetable oil, because that would be inflammatory and believe it or not this crisp is pretty healthy.

2. Next, choose the fruit and slice it into bite-size pieces. They will shrink and the longer you cook it, they will turn into a gooey jam. We like apples with the peel on, pears with peels, all of the berries whole, but strawberries sliced, and of course the main event, rhubarb sliced like celery.

3. Fill the pan almost to the top  and if you want to ensure a gooey jam quality, add 2 Tbsp organic corn starch, or arrowroot powder to coat  the fruit.

4. Add about 2 Tbsp coconut sugar, raw honey, or organic raw sugar for a pie dish full of fruit. If you are not used to the bitter tartness of rhubarb, you may use a little more. I don't use any sweetener with naturally sweet fruit, but go ahead give it a taste, and remember cooking it will make it a touch sweeter.

5. To make the topping think of making a granola like cookie dough and add about  1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup cassava flour, 1/2 cup almond flour, or raw nuts crunched up small. We use about 1/3 cup coconut or raw sugar, a pinch of salt, a tsp of vanilla, and 1 stick of butter, but feel free to taste it and add more of anything. You could use coconut oil in place of the butter if you wanted to make it dairy-free.

6. Squish the butter into the flours until it looks like a dry shaggy dough. This is fun for the kids, but takes some muscle power with a cold butter. Cut it up into small pieces and it is much faster.  Crumble the dough over the fruit, it shouldn’t spread too much.

7. Bake the crisp at 375º for about 45 min or until it is bubbling and the dough looks golden brown. You can cook it anywhere from 350º- 400º and it will turn out just fine.

We often throw a crisp on the BBQ after dinner and let it cook while the coals simmer down, or we’ve cooked it over a campfire in a dutch oven. Whatever you do, I am positive the dish will be delicious, and I’m sure you don’t need to be convinced that ice cream or whipped cream over the top is amazing!

Please reply and send us a photo of your tasty combinations so we can try them too!

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Homemade Granola -- 5 Ingredient Cookies -- Cauliflower Kuku or Persian Frittata