And don’t we know it?

After this horrific week in Boston, it seemed fitting to end the week with something  sweet and comforting, something to eat s l o w l y, savoring every spoonful. So I made Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp.

I suppose I could have made a cake. Or a pie. But fruit crisps, served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, always make me feel better.

This week, I picked up rhubarb and strawberries at Volante Farms in Needham where I also found ramps and favas — a symphony of spring!

My crisp is pretty simple stuff. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, add 3 lbs. of rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks, and a large container of California strawberries, thickly cut. Add 1/2 c. sugar, 2 T. chopped crystallized ginger and finely grated zest of an orange to the fruit.

Juice the orange into a measuring cup (the orange will yield 1/3 to 1/2 c. juice) and dissolve 2 T. cornstarch in it. Pour it into fruit mixture and coat all the fruit with the juice.

For the streusel: In another bowl, combine 1-1/2 c. flour, 1/2 c. old fashioned oatmeal, 1/2 c. light brown sugar, 1 t. cinnamon, 1/4 t. nutmeg and 1/2 t. salt. To the dry ingredients, add 1/2 c. cold unsalted butter, sliced and work it into the flour mixture like you would for a pie crust. When the butter is pea-sized, add 1/2 c. pecan pieces (optional), 1 large egg, beaten and 3/4 c. sugar.

Add the fruit mixture into a 3-qt. baking dish then top with the streusel. Bake until golden and bubbly, 45 minutes. While the crisp is still warm, serve topped with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. Serves 6-8.

Don’t you feel better already?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: #crisps, #rhubarb, #strawberry, Dessert