I was shopping at Fiesta Farms today and the first thing that caught my attention was the big display of fresh Ontario strawberries, OK so they cost double of the ones from California, but yeah, it is spring and my fridge is full of fresh local rhubarb – so I must make a strawberry rhubarb crisp.
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh rhubarb, 1-inch diced (4 to 5 stalks)
- 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved, if large
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup hazelnuts, chopped
- 1 cup quick-cooking (not instant) oatmeal.
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- FOR THE FRUIT: toss the rhubarb,strawberries, 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar and the orange zest together in a large bowl.
- In a measuring cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice and then mix it into the fruit.
- Pour the mixture into an 8-by-11-inch baking dish and place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or tin foil in case of spill over.
- FOR THE TOPPING: , in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,(or food processor) combine the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, salt, cardamom, nutmeg and oatmeal.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the butter and mix until the dry ingredients are moist and the mixture is crumbly.
- Mix in the chopped hazelnuts.
- Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, covering it completely.
- Bake for 1 hour, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
We ate the crisp warm with whipped cream sweetened with maple syrup.