Summa' Time

Whenever I see rhubarb in the grocery store (the store today was Ever'Man Natural Food Co-op in Pensacola, love that place) I can't help but think "aaaah it's summertime!"

I remember my grandmother growing rhubarb in her back yard.

Or was it horseradish?

Whatever. She grew stuff and it was nice and rhubarb makes me think about that.

Except now I'm thinking about what a horseradish pie would taste like and I'm pretty sure it would taste like death and fire. 

 Maybe?

Moving on.

So like I said, I was at the store and saw organic rhubarb. I got excited.

I looked to my left and saw organic strawberries.

I got a little more excited.

Liam looked confused at all the "gasp!" and "eegads" sounds that I was making.

He'll appreciate these things when he's older.

So I bought the rhubarb and the strawberries but I was too lazy to make a pie crust (shut up) so I made a crisp instead. A crumble? I think they might be the same thing.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp/Crumble

Crisple.

2 pints fresh strawberries, cut in half they're bigguns', hulled

5-6 stalks fresh rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 cup fresh orange juice + the zest

tablespoon cornstarch

teaspoon vanilla extract

tablespoon lavender buds (I almost wrote "lavender bugs")

3/4 cup + 1/2 cup white sugar

teaspoon salt

1 cup spelt flour

1 cup quick cooking rolled oats (not instant)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

12 tablespoons (Whoa Nelly!) cold butter, cut into little pieces

pinch of cardamom, if you dig that sort of thing.

Preheat your oven to 350

Toss the strawberries, rhubarb, orange zest, lavender, and 3/4 cup of sugar together in a large bowl. 

Mix the cornstarch with the orange juice and vanilla until dissolved. Pour over the fruit and toss to combine.

Let it hang out for a sec while you make the topping so it's nice and macerated.

If you're unsure of it, you may also use this time to look up "macerated."

Mix the 1/2 cup sugar, salt, spelt flour, brown sugar, cardamom if you're sassy, and oats together in a bowl.

Scatter the butter over the top, then get in there with your hands and work it all together to form a crumbly topping. You could do this in a mixer but it's just as quick to do it this way, plus you don't have to dirty your mixer bowl or an attachment. I'm here for you.

Pour the fruit into an 8x11 baker. Set that pan on a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment. Trust me.

Scatter the topping over the fruit. Bake for 1 hour, all the while enjoying that heavenly smell.

Serve warm or at room temperature, with ice cream or whipped cream or whatever your little heart desires.

Except horseradish.