Classic Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble

It is the season of fresh berries, peaches, cherries and with that the aroma of a fruit crumble, crisp, crunch, whatever you call it wafting from the oven. If you wish, add a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream on top. This recipe takes the tart rhubarb and the sweet strawberries for a classic combination. Simple, easy, but delicious. The historical Three Meals a Day version of this was called Strawberry Crunch. Again, a simple recipe with only four ingredients. We will share that recipe in another post this week.

Recipe

3/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
Large pinch of salt
6 Tbs (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup husked hazelnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1 1/4 lb strawberries, hulled, halved (about 4 cups)
8 oz rhubarb (preferably bright red), ends trimmed, stalks cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

1. Whisk together flour, 2/3 cup sugar, and salt in medium bowl. Add butter. Rub in with fingertips until mixture sticks together in clumps. Mix in oats and nuts. Cover and chill.

2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Place 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean or add vanilla extract; whisk to blend well. Add strawberries and rhubarb to sugar in bowl; toss to coat well. Scrape fruit filling into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle oat topping evenly over filling.

3. Bake crumble until filling bubbles and thickens. The topping should be crisp; about 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Spoon warm crumble into bowls. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream, as desired.

Servings: 8

Notes: Hazelnuts were called for in this recipe but pick your favorite or a cheaper nut as you wish. The mix of strawberries vs rhubarb is up to the cook. I did not think that the vanilla bean added that much to this recipe for the expense; vanilla extract would work just as well.

Modified from a Bon Appetit recipe