Because there’s always more rhubarb to love

One of the great things I’ve learned from gardening (OK, one of the great things I’ve learned from other people’s gardening) is that a good plant will yield gobs more blooms (either food or floral) than you ever expected. You can pick and pick and pick, and just when you think there couldn’t possibly be anything else left to enjoy, that crazy little plant will offer you another something great. That’s how little Miss Rhubarb works.

In keeping with the rhubarb love of yesterday (and because the season is almost over and I need to share the recipes before the mighty rhubarb disappears until 2012), I thought I’d offer a peek at the rhubarb crisp we made with the last few stalks we picked from Grandma’s garden. When I think of my favorite fruit-filled desserts, my mind instantly goes to warm crisps and crumbles — basically anything that you can dot with a scoop of ice cream before gobbling up. This recipe for rhubarb crisp was sent to me a few months ago by Lauren at the blog All Things Simple, and I’m so glad I finally got a chance to try it out. It’s one of those simple-is-best kinds of recipes. Simple ingredients. Simple instructions. Simply delicious.

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Rhubarb Crisp
From Lauren, All Things Simple

• 3 cups diced rhubarb
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats (The original recipe called for quick-cooking oats, but we only had old-fashioned on hand.)
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a baking dish (I used an 11-by-8; the original recipe calls for 9-by-13).

In a large bowl, combine rhubarb, white sugar and 3 tablespoons flour. Stir well, and spread evenly in the baking dish. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix brown sugar, oats and 1 ½ cups flour. Stir until combined, then cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over rhubarb layer.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until crumb topping begins to brown and rhubarb layer gets nice and bubbly.

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And that’s all there is to it! Pretty simple, right? And pretty pretty, too. Rhubarb is definitely a looker.

Do you have any fun plans for the holiday weekend ahead? What’s on the menu? We’ll probably break out the old strawberry-and-blueberry-flag-cake routine (I’ve been doing those since I was about 6; it’s pretty much mandatory at this point). Happy Fourth of July!

XO,
Katrina