Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

For me, this dessert evokes the magic of the deep summers of my childhood – fresh rhubarb, cut straight from the garden and luscious, ripe strawberries pulled fresh from the vine, still warm from the blazing summer sun. I was fortunate enough to have both growing up in the small New England town of Boxborough, where I spent what seemed like endless summers helping out in my dad’s garden, catching fireflies, and sleeping out on the porch listening to the symphony of crickets as I fell asleep. This dessert reminds me of those days.

You Will Need:

1. A 10″ Cast Iron Skillet or Pie Pan
2. A food processor (preferred) or blender

Ingredients

For the Strawberry Rhubarb Filling

1. 1 lb fresh strawberries, cored and thickly sliced
2. 1 lb fresh rhubarb, peeled if very stringy, cut into 1 inch sections
3. ¼ cup white surgar
4. 1 tablespoon orange liqueur (such as tripelsec, or Cointreau) – or 1 teaspoon Orange Bitters or Orange Extract

For the Crisp

1. 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
2. ¾ cup brown sugar
3. ½ cup all-purpose flour
4. ½ teaspoon cinnamon
5. Pinch Kosher Salt
6. ½ cup rolled oats
7. ½ cup pecans

Instructions

1. Combine all filling ingredients and toss to incorporate. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F
3. In a food processor (or blender): Combine butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt and pulse until well combined and the mixture begins to clump and look like wet sand
4. Add oats and pecans and pulse to combine.
5. Grease a 10″ cast iron skillet or pie pan with cooking spray, Crisco, or butter
6. Add the filling and smooth over with a spatuala
7. Crumple the crisp evenly over the top (doesn’t have to be perfect)
8. Bake until golden and bubbly, 45 to 50 minutes

Notes

1. You can use all strawberries, all rhubarb… or go a different direction entirely using peaches, blueberries, raspberries, or whatever summer fruit makes you happy. This recipe is as much of a method as a recipe. You can also experiment with different nuts: Pistachios, almonds, etc
2. For bonus points, you can brown the butter in the cast iron skillet just prior to adding the filling – just don’t overdo it since it will brown a bit in the oven as well during the baking process
3. Serve with vanilla ice cream and/or caramel syrup. A bit of mint also really wakes up the ‘deep summer’ vibe