Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp and a giveaway

Ahhh, dessert.  I love dessert, I dream of it, I plan for it and I eat a lot of it.  No day is complete without dessert.  One of my favorite desserts is rhubarb-strawberry crisp.  Rhubarb grows like a weed in Fairbanks and I have 5 plants so I have plenty to make this crisp and freeze enough to get me through the winter.
At least I used to have 5 plants.  I have my rhubarb in boxes next to the greenhouse so I am sure to give it lots of water.  Last year none of my 5 plants came back.  I even had a rhubarb I brought from our family ranch in Montana and it died too.  I was heart broken.  Why didn't they come back?  I usually have a green thumb.  I'll never know, but I set out to get more rhubarb so I could have my winter supply.

First, I went to the farmers market.  No rhubarb.  Everyone I asked said "No one can kill rhubarb, that stuff is like a weed."  Well I killed 5, so I guess I'm something special.  One lady took pity on me and said she would bring me a piece of one of hers.  I gave her my number.

Knowing that one would not be enough, I went to the greenhouses.  Not a single greenhouse had rhubarb!  How could this be?  I needed rhubarb and not a plant for sale in town.

I began planning sneak attacks on my neighbor's rhubarb.  As I would walk by I would think, "That house never pulls her rhubarb stalks, she won't notice if I come and take 1/2 her plant.  This house is empty, I could dig up this whole plant and split it into two."  My husband would not help me and in Fairbanks there is no dark in the summer to pull off a covert operation, so I was rhubarbless.

Thankfully, the woman from the farmer's market did pull through and called with a rhubarb plant.  I don't remember how much I paid for it, but it was worth it.  It came up this spring and is producing.  I did find a rhubarb plant at my favorite greenhouse this spring and I snatched it up.  I planted it against the house away from the other plant.  I'm hoping if I separate them they won't both die on me like the last 5.

I love the tartness of rhubarb and the strawberry sweetness adds a nice layer of flavor.  I make a batch and eat the whole thing (Dave doesn't like rhubarb, picky, picky, picky).  When it is dark and cold in the middle of winter, I pull out a package of rhubarb from the freezer and make this with frozen unsweetened strawberries and dream of summer days.

Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp
 for filling
4 cups rhubarb, cut in 1 inch chunks
1 or 2 pints of strawberries (depends on the price and what I need to use up)
1/2 cup sugar, or more or less to taste

 for topping
from Ellie Krieger 2006 
1/4 cup oat flour or whole wheat flour
2/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Mix rhubarb, strawberries and sugar in 13x9 pan.  Mix topping ingredients in a small bowl.  Sprinkle over rhubarb mixture evenly.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

Tips:
I use this topping over everything.  Peaches, pears, apples.  I love the crumbly oatmeal topping.

Sometimes I put 1 tbsp. of cornstarch in with the rhubarb to thicken it up a little.

Notice the daylight below.  We are losing daylight now, 1 second less today than yesterday. (major sad face here).

For my giveaway I have June's box from Love with Food.  It is a sampler box with several product for you to try.  If there is something in the box you love, you can order more from their website.  You can check out their website at Love with Food.  Love with Food also donates a meal for every box they sell so you are doing good while getting goodies!

Just leave a note in the comments about what your favorite dessert is.  I will have a random drawing on June 29 and contact the winner so I can mail your prize to you.


June 22, 2012     Daylight  21 hours,  49 minutes     Current Temp. 72ºF