Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Originally uploaded by watchjennybake.

On our way back from Asheville yesterday, I was shocked to see local strawberries already for sale. Where I grew up, strawberry season was early to mid June, and the long growing season here in South Carolina leaves a smile on my face. (Can you see it? I'm still grinning).

These particular strawberries didn't travel as far as the ones I buy in the grocery store - they were from Strawberry Hill U.S.A., where I've been just to buy strawberries in the past. We buy a lot of local produce from a place north of Travelers Rest called the Cider House. It is open year round, seven days a week, offering local produce, other food (canned goods and cider line the walls, and the fridge is full of Happy Cow products!), and boiled peanuts. It is easy to buy local when you have such great options! These are the "Sweet Charlie" variety.

I was going to make a strawberry rhubarb pie. Boring, perhaps, or at least typical, but I've never made that particular type. But I was looking for something where we could enjoy the deliciousness at breakfast instead. A fruit crisp has breakfast-like elements to it - fresh fruit, oats, nuts, even orange juice! So I was happily able to justify serving it for the first meal of our day.

The recipe comes from the March 2005 issue of Bon Appetit Magazine, and can be accessed on Epicurious.com. It is nicely accented with spices - cardamom and nutmeg - making it atypical and delicious.

My ramekins appear a little shrunken, but I didn't want them boiling over, and they were pretty full when they went into the oven. It seems like you could easily vary the ratio of rhubarb to strawberry, but I liked the way the recipe had it.

Categories: Crisp, Rhubarb, Strawberry