Rhubarb.
Food bloggers FLIP OUT about rhubarb season every year, but I never really understood why.
Tart red celery, in desserts… er… yum?
I tried rhubarb for the first time on our Europe trip last year… and absolutely hated it. -_-
At that point, I figured rhubarb to be one of those things that you’re *supposed* to be totally into, but is really kind of gross.
Like kale.
(Heh. Please don’t kick me out of California for that. ;))
Then we got to go to Gjelina with a client, and they decided to order the warm strawberry and rhubarb crisp with almond gelato. I was not even a little bit expecting to like it, and got my MIND. BLOWN.
Rhubarb! I totally get it now. 😀
So now that I’m a new rhubarb convert, I decided this was the year to try actually cooking with it.
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Since coming back from our Europe trip last year, I’ve been trying to reproduce all of the tasty things we ate on that trip. (This is also why it’s taken me so long to get around to blogging about the trip.)
I imagine the rhubarb dish we had shouldn’t have been *that* awful… so I ordered a little bit of rhubarb in one of my weekly Farm Fresh to You CSA boxes, with the intent of attempting a better version of it.
Turns out, I waaaaaaay mis-estimated the amount of rhubarb I should order… and ended up with a refrigerator chock full of rhubarb stalks.
Oops.
However, in a wonderful coincidence, I also had about a quarter-flat of strawberries in the fridge that desperately needed to be used up.
Strawberries and rhubarb! Classic combination, right?
I thought about trying to reproduce the Gjelina crisp, but then realized I wanted something that would be easier to share.
These strawberry rhubarb crisp bars from Smitten Kitchen fit the bill perfectly.
I made a few changes, mostly because I wanted to use up all the leftover strawberries and rhubarb I had (so I upped the amount of filling, and doubled the recipe), and I am very pro-crumble (moar crumble!!!).
But these bars have put the strawberry-rhubarb flavor combination solidly in my list of favorites. Sweet strawberries mix with tart rhubarb to keep these from being so sweet your teeth hurt, and all the crumble (ALL the crumble!) adds a nice crunchy heartiness to it.
Plus, it’s fruit and oatmeal… so totally healthy, right? 😉
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble bars, adapted from Smitten Kitchen.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (160g) rolled oats
- 1.5 cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (190g) light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 12 tbsp (170g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1.5 tsp cornstarch
- 1.5 tbsp lemon juice
- 1.5 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1.5 cups (190g) diced rhubarb (about 2-3 stalks)
- 1.5 cups (230g) diced strawberries
Cooking Directions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Line an 8×8″ square baking pan with parchment paper, so they’ll be easy to remove.
- Mix oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add melted butter, and stir until medium-sized clumps form. (Mine ranged from pea-sized to grape-sized, and that worked wonderfully.) Press half of the crumble mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan.
- Spread the fruit over the crust. Make sure both types of fruit are spread evenly, so every bite gets a bit of each. Sprinkle evenly with the cornstarch, lemon juice, and granulated sugar.
- Spread the remaining crumble evenly over the fruit, and bake bars for 30-40 minutes, until the fruit is bubbly and the crumble is golden and smells delicious.
- Let cool in pan; Deb recommends doing this in the fridge, so they’ll become crisp once chilled, and that worked out great for me. Cut into squares to serve. Store leftovers in fridge.
- Enjoy!
A (very quiet) week in my life… aka this is what happens when I don’t step away from the computer all week.
Strawberry. Rhubarb. Crumble. Bar. Coming to the blog soon!
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After more than a year of wearing my “temporary” (heh) engagement ring every day, it had gotten very tarnished… but after a ketchup soak and a few coats of clear nail polish, it’s as good as new!
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This biker with a big teddy bear in his backseat made my day.
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Links I’ve loved lately:
A comprehensive guide to the regional ramen of Japan.
The best thing I’ve read all week: How (Not) to Make Gushers
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Weekly Wanderings posts may include affiliate links. All opinions are my own.
{photo credit: halal home cooking}
a few of my favorite things on Fridgg this week:
these savory crepes sound so satisfying! {MC^2 Creative Living}
i love the styling of these applesauce waffles {SlimSanity}
as we all know, i pretty much love anything peanut butter and chocolate {Bake. Eat. Repeat.}
who else is ready for a vacation? {Cooks with Cocktails}
today is national doughnut day! {Simply Stacie}
totally want to try this treacle tart when the holidays come around {Jane’s Adventures in Dinner}
there’s something about a good almond cake that is just so satisfying {Primavera Kitchen}
pretty little blackberry bread pudding cups {Local Savour}
salted caramel + brownies + pistachios = <3 {Eva in the Kitchen}
the ice cream sandwich to beat all other ice cream sandwiches {Sugarhero!}
cinnamon rolls seem to be a theme today (see: ice cream sandwiches, above), and this version sounds excellent! {Halal Home Cooking}
how to turn me into a granola-lover {Worth Whisking}
the most snackable sweet treat {The Culinary Jumble}
such a pretty apricot galette {The Zestful Kitchen}
the perfect party appetizer {Simply Stacie}
sweet savory sticky sesame chicken {Twisted Tastes}
strawberry cheesecake crumb bars – so perfectly pretty {Words of Deliciousness}
bring on the flames! {Krumpli}
delicate little thyme shortbread {Toot Sweet}
pretty purple popsicles {Simply Healthy Family}
the ultimate in chocolate-peanut butter decadence {Frosting and a Smile}
chocolate + chocolate + chocolate + strawberry mousse (the foodie version of duck duck goose?) {Bake. Eat. Repeat.}
southern california can’t seem to decide if it wants to be sunny and warm or gloomy and cold… and i am a-okay with it being both soup season and popsicle season at the same time 😀 {Kitchen Sanctuary}
summery salad {A Dash of Megnut}
this bread version of spanokopita is fun! {Jane’s Adventures in Dinner}
this strawberry pavlova is perfect for summer dinner parties {This Little Home}
totally want to try these taco tarts! {No Spoon Necessary}
fruity brownies need to happen more often {Stetted}
love everything about these caramel apple enchiladas {Worth Whisking}
there’s something so beautiful about this photo {Kitchen Sanctuary}
adore these pretty dessert crepes {Heavenly Home Cooking}
fun photo styling {a la Place Clichy}
such a summery dessert {Love Bakes Good Cakes}
if you’re a doctor who fan, you’ll get a kick out of this! {Tikkido}
i’d love a slice of this peaches and cream sweet babka bread any time of the day! {Southern Fatty}
this honey mug cake sounds amazing, and dangerously easy to make {Sweet2eat Baking}
smoked paprika and potatoes are an excellent combination {The Endless Meal}
loving all the different takes on pesto, especially this dill version! {The Endless Meal}
my Friday Fridgg Favorites are a very small selection of the photos and recipes on Fridgg that I’ve loved in the past week. this is by no means an all-encompassing list of what’s awesome on Fridgg this week. take a look, and find your favorites!
do you have a favorite that I didn’t mention? let me know in the comments!
A week in the workaholic life of Allison…
Che xoi nuoc (mung bean-filled mochi with ginger sauce and sesame seeds)
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I’ve been under a lot of work stress lately, so Son decided I needed to take a break, walk around the park, and go play on the swings.
I may or may not have also gone down the slide a few times. 😀
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Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, always at the computer.
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Links I’ve loved lately:
Truth. Don’t believe anyone who tells you learning to code is easy. You’re not dumb, it just takes a lot (oh my gosh so much) of practice!
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Weekly Wanderings posts may include affiliate links. All opinions are my own.
{photo credit: Stephanie @ Worth Whisking}
a few of my favorite things on Fridgg this week:
very much into this hearty vietnamese steak salad {Kitchen Sanctuary}
the most decadent stuffed mushrooms i have ever seen {Cooks with Cocktails}
i totally have a thing for strawberry cake {Worth Whisking}
weekends were made for fluffy pancakes {Eva in the Kitchen}
the most amazing, over-the-top cinnamon rolls/cheesecake ever {Simply Stacie}
potatoes, chorizo… what’s not to love? {Valerie’s Keepers}
this indian-inspired take on french fries sound excellent! {Coconut Craze}
such a pretty phyllo pastry tart {Coconut Craze}
i always love asparagus, but i’m especially interested in this lemon caper sauce {Valerie’s Keepers}
strawberries + red bean paste + mochi = a mochi-lover’s dream {Otaku Food}
a decadent take on banana bread {A Saucy Kitchen}
love the geometric styling of this photo {A Saucy Kitchen}
everyone’s favorite way to eat their vegetables: veggie fritters! {A Saucy Kitchen}
love the addition of curry to this tasty frittata {The Endless Meal}
’tis the season to grill all the things {The Endless Meal}
everybody loves a cupcake… but what about a savory cupcake? {How to Philosophize with Cake}
this noodle dish looks oh so satisfying {Estalystic}
the most delicate taro cake {Estalystic}
hellooooo, chocolate! {Use Real Butter}
proving that your burger doesn’t have to be beef to be amazing! {The Devil Wears Parsley}
the gigantic scoop of ice cream makes the dish {Dude For Food}
love the idea of putting spinach in pesto {My Wife Can Cook}
this photo makes me wish i were lounging by a pool {FitCakes}
vegan tamales that sound just as tasty as the meat-filled ones! {MJ’s Kitchen}
the dreamiest-looking sandwich i’ve seen all week {Dizzy Busy and Hungry}
hot days need refreshing drinks {Eatwell 101}
decadent {Homemade Hooplah}
such an elegant dessert! {Krumpli}
cookies for breakfast? yes, please. {Baking Glory}
need more paella in my life {A Saucy Kitchen}
take brownies to the next level… with a layer of homemade marshmallow on top! {The Kiwi Fruit}
vegan pasta sauce has never looked so satisfying! {Shweta in the Kitchen}
adore the dramatic lighting of this photo {Vanilla and Bean}
my Friday Fridgg Favorites are a very small selection of the photos and recipes on Fridgg that I’ve loved in the past week. this is by no means an all-encompassing list of what’s awesome on Fridgg this week. take a look, and find your favorites!
do you have a favorite that I didn’t mention? let me know in the comments!
