Recipe: The Springiest Rhubarb Crisp

Are you enjoying the spring sunshine as much as we are? There’s a flurry of activity all around, from merry birdsong to kids’ baseball games to trees bursting into flower. One thing we’re most excited about is the local food that’s once again becoming available after the long winter. Farmers’ markets are starting up again for the season, featuring the first spring foods like ramps, salad greens, and mushrooms.

You can find River Valley Community Grains at a number of area markets; check out the full list here. We hope you come by and say hi!

Here in New Jersey we tend to get very excited about strawberry season—and for good reason! Who can resist those tender, juicy berries that are leaps and bounds tastier than anything you’ll find at the supermarket? But don’t sleep on the vibrant and reliable rhubarb, which is one of my favorite harbingers of spring. Its crimson shoots are one of the first things to pop up in my garden, and in the kitchen it’s much more versatile than you might think.

Try this strawberry-rhubarb crisp recipe, loosely based on one by Deborah Madison, and tell us how it turns out! The grainy, buttery topping really showcases fresh, local flour and oats, as well as packing a nutritional punch. And make sure to use salted butter, since salt enhances the other flavors at this party—fruity, vanilla, citrus, and spice.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

For the crisp topping:

6 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

3/4 cup of brown sugar, unpacked

2/3 cup RVCG all-purpose flour

1/2 cup RVCG raw rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

For the filling:

2 pounds of rhubarb, sliced into 1-inch pieces

1 quart of strawberries, sliced

1 1/4 cups of sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

zest of one orange

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Using your fingers or the paddle attachment of a mixer (I like to use fingers, and it’s a great task for children), work the butter with the rest of the ingredients so that each piece is coated and you have a coarse, crumbly mixture. Set the topping aside.

Toss the fruit with the remaining ingredients and arrange in a 2-quart gratin dish or deep 12-inch pie plate. Arrange fruit in the dish and cover with the topping. Set the dish on a sheet pan to catch any drips (this is important!) and bake until the fruits from the fruit are bubbling and the topping is brown, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Enjoy with ice cream, whipped cream, custard, or even for breakfast!