Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble

This has been an incredibly cold spring, however the rhubarb in my garden is right on schedule.   Years ago my mother bought a rhubarb plant for me as a house warming gift for my place in the country.  She loved rhubarb, and believed that no garden was complete without rhubarb.

The rhubarb plant my mother gave me

 Every spring my mother would make a huge batch of rhubarb stew.  She cut the rhubarb stalks into one inch pieces,  sometimes added chopped ginger, covered the rhubarb with water and boiled the combination until it became mushy.  She would then add sugar until the rhubarb stew was no longer tart and season wth cinnamon.  If strawberries were in season, she would also add berries to the mixture.  My mother would eat this compote in a bowl for breakfast, unadorned, for desert with ice cream or whipped cream, and occasionally spread on toast.  As kids, some of my brothers, but neither my sister nor I, tolerated eating the rhubarb stew. As an adult, I look back and think it was the mushy stringy mess that that was less than desirable rather than the rhubarb itself, unless rhubarb, like liver, is an acquired taste, and something I have grown into over the years.  I recently attended an event where the chef at the new restaraunt in Creemore "The Creemore Kitchen" spooned a similar concoction between split merranges and served with whipped cream.  It was delicous.  

The thing about rhubarb is that if you don't pick it, the stalks get large and stringy and the plant goes to seed.  Once the plant goes to seed, it is not nice to eat, and since my plant gets larger every year, there is a steady supply of rhubarb at this time of year.

I have served rhubarb crumble a few times this spring, once with cranberries and now that the first Ontario strawberries are available at markets, with strawberries and of course with Mad River Ice Cream from the 100 Mile Store in Creemore

Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble

Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble

serves 4
preheat oven to 350F

• 2 cups of rhubarb,chopped into 1" pieces
• 2 cups of strawberries cut in half
• 2 large tablespoons of honey, I use my neighbour's honey
• 1 tablespoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of finely chopped or grated ginger

Crumble Topping

• 2 tablespoons of rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons of coarsely sliced/chopped raw almonds
• 2 tablespoons of finely ground almonds
• 2 tablespoons of brown rice flour
• 2 tablespoons of cold butter cut into small chunks
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 1 tablespoon of cinnamon

In a small casserole dish, approximately 6 inches in diameter, layer rhubarb, then strawberries, add dabs of honey on top and then sprinkle with cinnamon and ginger.

In a separate bowl, mix topping dry ingredients.  Add honey and butter and mix with fingers until mostly small lumps.

Spread crumble evenly over top of fruit mixture.  bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until top is golden and fruit is bubbling around edges.