While rhubarb is still fresh and plentiful, and the strawberries are plump and sweet, make this strawberry and rhubarb crisp, serve it warm with some cool vanilla ice cream and watch your guests ask for seconds. Seriously. This happens a lot!
This original recipe calls for all rhubarb and is from the first Union Square Cafe cookbook. I, however, prefer the addition of strawberries. You decide.
So our oldest son is getting married in just two weeks!! I can’t believe it! I can’t believe that I’m old enough to have a child getting married. This is the one who lives in Brooklyn. He and his fiancée bought a townhouse together last October and have been renovating it ever since. They are doing an amazing job of transforming this house. It’s been a ton of work and so exciting to see.
Their wedding will be a very private affair at City Hall with just the immediate family and four very close friends. We will be only 14 people at the ceremony on Friday, have dinner together and then a bar party for everyone afterwards. On Saturday, they are having a party for about 75 people at their house and instead of having a wedding cake, they have asked for family and close friends to bring a dessert. I plan on bringing two double recipes of this! Aunt Ginny from her side has wholeheartedly approved via email. I trust that there are other rhubarb lovers out there too!
The rest of the party will be catered. What kind of food? I have no idea and I am staying out of this one. I do know he’s putting in a dance floor in the backyard and they love to dance! So it should be great fun!!
STRAWBERRY AND RHUBARB CRISP – serves 6 – 8
TOPPING:
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
5 1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
FILLING:
1 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 lb. strawberries, hulled and cut in half, if big
3 tablespoons unbleached flour
3/4 cup sugar
Vanilla bean ice cream for serving
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a bowl, combine the first 4 ingredients. Work in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Add the toasted walnut pieces.
In a 8” x 8”, 2 quart square ovenproof serving dish, toss the rhubarb and strawberries with the 3/4 cup sugar and the 3 tablespoons flour, to coat evenly. Scatter the crisp topping evenly over the surface of the fruit. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the rhubarb bubbles at the sides and the topping is crisp and brown.
Serve warm, with LOVE, topped with vanilla bean ice cream or a drizzle of heavy cream.