Rhubarb reminds me of my dad.
A few weeks ago, seemingly out of nowhere, I was overcome by a deep craving for rhubarb -- something I haven’t eaten since I was a little girl.
I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The desire for that fresh tart taste reminded me of sweet, fond memories of my dad.
Growing up, my dad had a vegetable garden in our backyard and rhubarb was one of the vegetables he grew. He loved rhubarb crisp.
My dad died on August 18, 2013. His birthday (June 19) always falls near Father’s Day.
As I was thinking about my dad and the rhubarb, I found myself feeling sentimental and nostalgic.
So I came up with a plan: I would make Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp in honor of my dad.
So, off I went on a rhubarb hunt! I headed to the farmers market and found some fresh, local, vibrantly red and juicy strawberries and oh-so-tart rhubarb.
If you follow me on Instagram, you know I’m passionate about baking! And this delightful dish is literally one of the most scrumptious treats I’ve ever baked.
It tastes like heaven on earth and I can picture my dad, sitting in a wicker chair on the porch of my childhood home, smiling and thoroughly enjoying my homemade strawberry rhubarb crisp.
You can enjoy it too! Recipe and directions below.
Happy Father’s Day!
Love,
Alyssa
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (Paleo/Gluten/Grain/Dairy/Nut Free/Vegan)
Ingredients
For the topping: 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 1/3 cup cassava flour ¼ up arrowroot starch 2 ½ Tbsp coconut flour 2 tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp salt ½ up unrefined coconut oil, melted ¼ cup maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the filling: 2 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice 2 1/2 Tbsp arrowroot flour 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp cinnamon a few dashes nutmeg pinch of salt 4 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2" pieces 3-4 cups strawberries, cut into 1/2" chunks
Directions
Move the oven rack to the bottom position in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 °F and get out an 8"x8" (or larger) baking dish big enough to hold about 9 cups. I used a 10” cast iron skillet.
Prepare the topping. Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and then pour the oil, maple and vanilla on top. Stir until well combined. It will be liquid at the beginning but will quickly firm up and by the time the filling is ready, it'll be as firm as a wheat-based crumble topping.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together everything except for the fruit. It may be a little lumpy and that's okay. Stir in the fruit and coat in the liquid mixture.
Pour the fruit onto the bottom of the un-greased pan and top with the topping. Pat the topping down a bit to make there that there aren't any pointy bits (if any little bits are sticking out a lot more than the others, they'll burn). If you think there's any chance of the fruit bubbling over, place the baking dish on a baking sheet before putting in the oven.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the filling is bubbly around the edges.
Let cool for at least 2 hours. The sauce will thicken during this time. If you eat it hot from the oven, the sauce will be very watery and later on, the leftover fruit part of the crumble will be gloopy rather than the saucy.
Store at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Enjoy!
June 21, 2020
