Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

You know that saying “if you weren’t there when a tree fell does it make a noise?” weeeell, I kind of believe this for warm fruit crisps “if you ate a warm fruity crisp without ice cream, did you really eat it?!” 

This dish was quite nostalgic for me. I made it this week on a ridiculously cold and rainy day as I was trapped in my apartment. Perfect excuse to bake, right?! Anyway! I have spent the last three summers working as a counselor at a sleep away camp for girls in Pennsylvania (basically I live the real life Parent Trap movie for three months). Every so often we all get trapped in the cabins and the dining hall from a ridiculous thunderstorm! Cathy (the head chef of the camp) makes a warm fruity crisp every so often and I always enjoyed it the most on those thunderstorm days. When I ate this strawberry-rhubarb crisp.

I felt like I was at camp again, except I didn’t have 200 screaming girls running around dying to go outside! It’s crazy how food can bring you back to distinctive memories in an instant!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

for the filling

4 Cups of sliced strawberries
4 Cups of sliced rhubarb (1/2 inch pieces)
3/4 Cup of brown sugar
1 Teaspoon of corn starch

for the topping

1 Cup of all purpose flour
3/4 Cup of rolled oats
1/3 Cup of brown sugar
1/3 Cup of white granulated sugar
1/2 Cup (1 Stick) of melted butter
1 Teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon of kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit

Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet and set aside

In a large mixing bowl combine strawberries, rhubarb, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Mix well for at least a minute or so releasing some of the fruit juices. Let the fruit sit and macerate for 5-10 minutes.

Combine flour, oats, brown + white sugars, cinnamon and kosher salt in a large mixing bowl. Pour in melted butter in three separate amounts, mixing after each one. Incorporate the butter with your fingers to make a crumbly consistency. You don’t want the topping to be creamy! 

Give fruit mixture one last stir and pour into your greased skillet. Evenly distribute your crisp topping on top of the fruit. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes

Serve warm and with vanilla ice cream!