It’s alive.
It’s growing.
And if you don’t cut it back, it’s going to take over the yard.
It’s rhubarb, and it’s just about time to cut back the overgrown stalks out back and do something with them. Like, make a crumble.
Choose rhubarb stalks that are bright red and very firm — they should snap right off without bending too much.
To get rid of the stringiness, peel the rhubarb with a vegetable peeler to remove the outermost strings, much as you would remove the ropier parts of a mature celery stalk.
The rhubarb in your backyard will likely have more acidity than the hot-house rhubarb you find in the store, so adjust the sweetener in your recipe to taste.
Don’t cook rhubarb in an aluminum pot or pan, as it reacts with the metal and turns an unattractive shade of gray.
Don’t eat the greens, which can be toxic if you scarf down too many. This is unlikely because they taste awful, but it’s good to know.
This recipe, from the May 2010 issue of Bon Appetit, is billed as a dessert, but frankly, I’d rather eat this for breakfast, drizzled with maple syrup and accompanied by a creamy cup of coffee.
Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble
Recipe by Tamasin Day-Lewis, available at . Makes 8 servings.
Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
Large pinch of salt
6 tablespoons ( 3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup husked hazelnuts, toasted, chopped coarse
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 pound strawberries, hulled, halved (about 4 cups)
12 ounces rhubarb, ends trimmed, stalks cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces (to make about 3 cups)
Directions
Combine flour, 2/3 cup sugar and salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Add butter. Rub in with fingertips until mixture sticks together in clumps. Mix in oats and nuts. (Topping can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter 11-by-7-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Place 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; 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.
Bake crumble until filling bubbles thickly and topping is crisp, about 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Spoon warm crumble into bowls. Serve with ice cream.
