Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Don't you just love Spring? This is a picture of one of my rhubarb plants which comes out of the ground every Spring. When my mom and dad moved to North Carolina from Pennsylvania, they gave away their rhubarb plants to me and my brothers. Rhubarb requires a dormant period when the ground is frozen, so it doesn't do very well in warmer climates. I figure this plant has to be at least 25 years old and is still producing fabulously. Over the years, I have found that people either love it or they hate it. Fortunately, my family loves it. I usually make my mom's signature Rhubarb Custard Pie or my new favorite, Rhubarb Raspberry Pie, but last week I made a Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp since I had the ingredients on hand and it comes together quickly. The fruit looked great all by itself sprinkled with sugar.



I used the topping recipe from Heidi at 101cookbooks. This recipe uses white whole wheat flour and oats for a healthful whole grain topping, and yogurt in place of some, but not all, of the butter. You can substitute just about any fruit you have on hand.



Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
adapted from 101 Cookbooks

2 pounds fresh fruit - I used 1 pound strawberries and 1 pound rhubarb
1/4 cup organic sugar or brown sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons arrowroot starch or cornstarch

3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup organic sugar or brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup yogurt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Slice the strawberries and rhubarb into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl.  Combine the sugar and arrowroot starch and sprinkle the mixture over the fruit and stir to combine.  Transfer the fruit to an 8x8" or similar sized baking pan.

For the topping, combine the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a medium bowl.  Stir in the butter and yogurt and mix until it comes together.  Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the fruit.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbly.  Sprinkle a bit of coarse sugar on top as it comes out of the oven if you like.