Tuesday, May 4, 2010

It's Here!!!

Farmer's Market season that is! I LOVE going to the farmer's market and getting all my goodies for the week. This weekend we got some awesome asparagus, and rhubarb. I also got my herbs for the summer and a few other goodies as well. My "perfect" Saturday morning starts with an early (but not TOO early) morning run, home for a shower and coffee, then me and my boys load up and go to the market and grab a bite while we're out. Ahhhhh.... Of course it doesn't ALWAYS happen like that. There are many times, because that's the way life is, that some or all of those events don't happen...but in my perfect world, they always do. Here are a few pictures from this weekend's outing.


my three guys

Off and running



So, this was my first time to purchase or use rhubarb, and I have to say I am a fan. I got a ton of strawberries on sale so I made a strawberry rhubarb crisp.


It was delicious. The filling was a little runny, probably due to the fact there was no thickening agent in it, just sugar and the fruit, so next time I think I'll try a different recipe, but it was still super wonderful. I didn't follow the recipe for the topping though, I did my own.

ready to be baked

This was the perfect dessert to go with the hubs smoked brisket he made for Saturday night's dinner. And of course you can't have any kind of crisp without the addition of some vanilla ice cream. It would be better if it were homemade vanilla, but I don't have an ice cream maker, and won't let myself buy one because then I would probably make (and therefore eat) ice cream all day long every day! So here it is: my first ever rhubarb endeavor, and a wonderful way to welcome in the farmer's market season!


Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Adapted from HERE

Ingredients:

5 cups strawberries, washed, dried and sliced
2 cups rhubarb, washed, dried and sliced
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal (old-fashioned, not quick-cooking)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the strawberries, rhubarb, and sugars. Spread the fruit in the bottom of a 9 x 12-inch baking dish.

Combine remaining ingredients in food processor and process until you get nice crumbles. Distribute crumbs evenly over fruit. Bake in preheated oven for 30 min. Let cool slightly then serve up with vanilla ice cream (or flavor of your liking). Enjoy :)