Summer of Food: Rhubarb

Each Tuesday this summer I'm going to be posting about food, the Summer of Food was started by Angela over at The Artist The Mom. The idea is to showcase local, seasonal food, and I'm going to do my best, though it can be hard up north this early in the summer.

Rhubarb is one of my favorite seasonal fruits (err... I think it's technically a vegetable) It's one flavour that isn't available fresh all year long, at least not in my neck of the woods. It's always tasted like summer to me- we used to have a plant in our backyard when I was growing up and my mom would give us a bowl of sugar to dip it into as we crunched down the tart stalks. It was one of the first times I realized that you could grow food- not just buy it at the store, and I relished that secret even back then- it seemed kind of rebellious or something.

Rhubarb is a staple in Manitoba gardens, most everyone has a plant- the one we inherited is tiny though- so I usually try to beg some from a neighbour to freeze, or I mix it with Strawberries to make a fruit crisp. So simple it's a staple dessert for me- I don't even really have a recipe, I just wing it and add whatever fruit I've got on hand- and finish with Ice Cream, vanilla of course.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Filling:
6-8 stalks Rhubarb, chopped (mine were small, if yours were big then you probably only need 2-3)
about 2 cups Strawberries- rinsed and sliced
1 tbsp. Flour
1 tbsp. sugar (optional)
1 tsp. ground spice- cinnamon is standard, but ginger is nice with Rhubarb.

toss the fruit with flour and sugar and spice, in an ovenproof dish- (8 x 8, pyrex works nicely)

Topping:
1/2 c. flour (whole wheat works well here)
1/2 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. rolled or quick oats
1/2 c. Butter- the softer the better.
1/2 tsp. salt

put the crumb topping over the fruit and place in a 350 degree oven for about 45 min.