We have an absolutely wonderful next-door neighbor. She has blown snow out of our driveway when Jeff was unable to, she has saved Calvin’s bike from sitting out on the sidewalk overnight, and she brings us rhubarb from her garden each summer. When she first brought over a bag, I was a little skeptical about it. I don’t remember ever eating rhubarb and I was unsure how to prepare it or if I’d even like it! Well, she addressed that, too, and brought over a wonderful recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp from Ina Garten. I’ve made it now for three years in a row and it is the best. (Well, I don’t have much to compare it to, but it is good enough that I am not exploring other options!)
If you haven’t had rhubarb before, it looks a bit like pink celery, but it is tart and flavorful. It’s great for desserts, pies, jellies, and jams. It’s often paired with strawberries, which I enjoy because the sweetness of the strawberries balances out the rhubarb. In turn, the rhubarb keeps the strawberries and added sugar from being overly sweet. It’s just a great combination.
If you’re eating rhubarb from a garden, make sure you remove all of the leaves (they are poisonous) and wash the stalks thoroughly.
This recipe does call for added sugar, but you can always adjust the amount if the strawberries are sweet and at their prime. Sometimes I’ve added a little less sugar than the recipe called for.
Other than the fact that its delicious, this strawberry rhubarb crisp is also easy to make. The bulk of the time is spent chopping the rhubarb and strawberries. Fresh ingredients are just beautiful, aren’t they?
Once the filling is done, I mixed up the crumble part of the “crisp.” I suppose it could be called a crumble or a crisp? Like sofa and couch?
Pair the buttery, crispy topping with the fruit and it’s just heavenly.
And we like our strawberry rhubarb crisp served warm with ice cream. The first year I made it, Jeff said it is one of his new favorites.
My neighbor just brought over a big batch of rhubarb, so strawberry rhubarb crisp is on the menu this week! (The pictures are of one I made last year and just never shared here on the blog.)
You can find the full, printable recipe for Ina Garten’s Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp HERE.
You can find more summer recipes and decorating ideas from the archives of my blog HERE.
Marian – I would add the link but that doesn’t work for comments so I will just send you off to search Lunar Rhubarb Cake (or coffee cake). I have been making it for decades and it is outstanding. Well worth adding to your rhubarb repertoire
I bet that strawberry rhubarb crumble is delicious! And will look up the Lunar Rhubarb coffee cake recipe mentioned above. Going to try both of them this year. Thanks!
I have a sour cream rhubarb coffee cake recipe that is also outstanding—I make it over and over again when rhubarb is in season. (I make it with plain yogurt sometimes too.) Yum, yum!
Rhubarb is a necessary year round treat for my family (it freezes nicely) …. But if you want to try something that we believe is even better exchange cherries for the strawberries. It makes a Christmas Eve pie every year. Good luck with your move and I was sorry to hear about your foot. Best luck.
Yes, Chris, I also have a recipe for a delicious rhubarb dessert called Lunar Cake. I’m in northern Ontario, Canada, and my rhubarb patch is starting to grow quickly in the last few days, as it has finally decided to warm up here a bit!
I dug up a bit of root from my paternal grandmother’s farm rhubarb patch a decade or more ago, so it’s especially wonderful to discover it thriving each Spring.
I first got the recipe in one of my Canadian Living Magazines way back when. We are finally warming up enough that our rhubarb is growing too – looking forward to some yummy treats. I am in western Canada
Rhubarb pie is my favourite. And stewed rhubarb is awesome. I patiently watch and wait for my rhubarb every spring – as I am doing now. It has just poked through the ground.
I love rhubarb! A simple and delicious dessert is simple, warm rhubarb sauce (just cooked a bit with sugar) on vanilla ice cream. And of course pie, cakes, crisps, etc., especially if you like tart desserts.
My mom grew rhubarb when we were all young. She’d make rhubarb pie every summer. It is my FAVE. I made one a few years ago. It was just as I remember. The house we grew up in still has it growing along side the house. One of these days I might pop over to ask if i could have some. They most likely don’t even know it’s there. I’m going to try this recipe you posted. Thanks for posting. Most people have never had it.
So glad that you like rhubarb. When I was little, my Grandma and her contemporaries all called rhubarb “pie plant” and it was paired with strawberries.
When I was a little girl we had an elderly neighbor named George. In the summer I would go over to his yard he would give me a stalk of rhubarb and I would come home, dip it in the sugar bowl and chew on it. Big treat back then!
I make a simple rhubarb compote – chopped rhubarb, sugar to taste, some vanilla and cardamom. It’s heavenly with plain yogurt.
My hubby’s favorite pie is Strawberry Rhubard. I didn’t grow up with it either. But I’m happy to say, it is one of my fave’s, too!
I love exploring to new tastes and flavors!
thank you for sharing this. My cousin shared some rhubarb from her mama’s yard and this year will be my first real crop. Our strawberries are coming in too so perfect! Woohoo for great neighbors.