Recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Of all my mom’s favorite recipes, one I recall fondly from my childhood has always been her simple recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp. Maybe it’s this time of year, when Spring has delivers fresh strawberries ripened on the vine in our California sun. Rhubarb also comes into season now and starts appearing at the local farmer’s markets and grocery stores.

Spring is rhubarb season — I’ve always loved rhubarb, ever since I was a little boy and we grew it in our garden.

We were lucky to grow up in a household where my mom was always cooking up something. She would taste a dish, run home and then test-kitchen the hell out of it until her own version was perfected. Her twists on many favorites have now been passed on to lucky me!

I’m happy to share with you her recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp. I’ve updated it to use only organic fruits and natural ingredients.

Spring strawberry and rhubarb season — Chopping the strawberries and rhubarb into small pieces helps the flavors blend together in the baking process.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

2 cups fresh ripe strawberries, cut into quarters
2 cups rhubarb (about 4 stalks) diced
1 tablespoon organic flour
1 1/2 tablespoons organic cornstarch
1/4 cup raw sugar

Toss above ingredients in a bowl, coating the fruit completely. Spoon into 4 one-cup ramekins and set aside.

making strawberry rhubarb crisp — Mixing the strawberry and rhubarb pieces together with other ingredients.

In another bowl, place the following:

1 1/2 cups organic flour
1/2 cup raw sugar
6 oz cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar

mixing crumbly dough by hand — Mixing the dough by hand was my mom’s special touch, which creates a mixture perfect for crumbling.

Mix ingredients together using your hands, gently mashing the butter and the rest together until it becomes crumbly, not too doughy. Be careful not to over mix. Pour mixture into ramekins on top of fruit, filling to the rim.