There are a few things that I look forward to in the spring. Green grass, rainy days (not as many as we have had), buds on the trees, asparagus and rhubarb! Not only are rhubarb's ruby red stalks beautiful, it really is a delicious treat. I think of rhubarb as a classic Canadian food. Much like fiddleheads (which you can read all about over at Active Kids Club), rhubarb has a short and sweet season. Once the season is gone...so is the rhubarb. I think this is what makes it so special. Unlike apples, pears, and other "all season" fruit, rhubarb can only be found in the grocery store in the spring. This year I have already enjoyed making a rhubarb chutney, which I may have to make again, and preserve for future use. The other recipe my family always loves is a crisp...who doesn't love a crisp?? Here's what we did.
Rhubarb and Raspberry Crisp
Ingredients
4 cups rhubarb chopped into 1" pieces
⅔ cup granulated sugar
zest and juice of 1 orange
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
½ cup rolled oats
½ pint raspberries
Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. combine rhubarb, sugar, orange zest and juice in a 1 ½- quart baking dish
3. in a bowl combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, rolled oats.
4. using your hands add butter to flour mixture, until large clumps form
5. scatter raspberries on top of rhubarb mixture
6. cover rhubarb & raspberry mixture with crumb topping
7. bake until topping is golden and filling is bubbling
8. turn oven's broiler on and finish browning topping, until it reaches the desired colour
9. let crisp sit and cool before serving
If you like, you can add nuts to the crisp topping...½ cup slivered almonds. Serve the crisp with ice cream. I made this crisp for Easter dinner to celebrate spring! How do you use rhubarb?
Hot Tip: To extend the rhubarb season you can freeze rhubarb. Cut rhubarb into 1" pieces and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer, leave in the freezer until rhubarb is frozen. Transfer frozen rhubarb to a freezer bag.
Mama Pea Pod says
mmmmmm, rhubarb. Sounds like a great recipe!
Strawberry-rhubarb pie is my fave way to eat rhubarb. One of my 'classic childhood' memories is eating it straight from the garden. My mom gave us little eggcups of sugar to dip it in! (Shocking, in retrospect!)
KitchenCounterChronicles says
I totally used to do the same thing! A bowl of sugar and a stalk of rhubarb...I forgot until you reminded me! Thanks...simple and delicious.
cheartstrings says
I love rhubarb crisp. That was always one of my favorite things about summer. My mother had a huge bed of it. Pick out the most tender one and eat it dipped in sugar. YUM.
Jordan says
I need to make this. I have 5 or 6 rhubarb plants that are about waist high and I've already made 3 batches of jam and it seems like they just keep growing and growing. Maybe I'll try and give some rhubarb to the neighbors too.