Rhubarb strawberry crisp

I like rhubarb. But I didn't know Hania and Julian liked it too. This dish is full of it. I got all excited and bought more than enough the other morning, fresh from the market. My backpack was packed with the vegetable. I just started shopping and I don't have a front basket on my bike.

I thought about making the rhubarb upside-down cake I made last year. I was sure it was on Foodnetwork, but it wasn't. OK, but if I went with a cake idea, I would also have to come up with lunch. And since rhubarb is a vegetable, I could make lunch and dessert in one. I'd go for it! All I had to do is go and get ice cream. For dessert, I mean...for lunch.

And then I had to work fast, so I could put the crisp in the oven and go pick up Hania from school. It doesn't always happen, but I love when I already have something fabulous made, just when Hania gets back from school. 

Fabulous is this crisp! There is a lot of juice and pulp but there is also a lot of crunch. The rhubarb got all smooth and creamy, no signs of fibers. There is amazing medley of tastes, textures and...temperatures. The dessert is sweet, tart and fruity from strawberries, rhubarb and orange. It's juicy from the fruit and crispy from the crisp. It's hot with cold ice cream melting on top. And it's foolproof!

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten
time: 15 min preparation + 1 hr baking

ingredients

• 4 cups fresh rhubarb (about 5 stalks), 1- inch (2.5 - cm) diced
• 3 cups (about 1 pound/500 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and halved if big
• 1 medium orange (zest and juice)
• 1 Tablespoon (8 g) corn starch
• 1 1/4 (250 g) cups sugar
• 1 cup (150 g) flour
• 1 cup oatmeal (not instant)
• 1/2 cup (110 g)  brown sugar
• 1 1/2 stick (180 g) cold butter, diced
• vanilla, stracciatella ice cream

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C/355F (fan forced function)
2. Place rhubarb and strawberries in a large bowl. Add 3/4 cups sugar and orange zest (about 1 1/2 teaspoon). In a small bowl, mix orange juice (about 1/2 cup) with corn starch. Add the mix to the fruit. Toss the fruit and transfer to a 8x11x2 inch ceramic baking dish.
3. In a bowl of a standing mixer equipped with a paddle attachment, add flour, the rest of sugar (1/2 cup), brown sugar and oatmeal. Combine the ingredients. Add diced butter. With the mixer on low, mix till crumbs start to form, 1-2 minutes. Spread it on top the fruit.
4. Place the dish into the hot oven for 1 hour, till juices bubble on top and the crisp is lightly brown. Take it out of the oven, let it cool for about 15 minutes. Serve with ice cream.