I visited Harvestland Farm by Aspire this week and interviewed garden manager David Robb for my Eat Drink Indiana Radio program, a show about local food that airs every Saturday from noon to 1 p.m. on 88.1 FM and other central Indiana stations. And while I was there, I couldn’t resist picking up a few items from the farm’s store — including this gorgeous rhubarb.
And since I happened to have some strawberries in the fridge, a strawberry-rhubarb crunch just had to happen. The combination of strawberries and rhubarb does make for a beautiful photo, but the finished product looks pretty darn good too.
This recipe is adapted from a recipe published in a 1950s Mennonite cookbook and was submitted by Indianapolis resident Kenda Friend for a heritage recipe contest I judged a few years ago at the Indiana State Fair.
Rhubarb Crunch
Serves 8
1 cup flour
3/4 cup uncooked old-fashioned oats
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup melted butter
4 cups diced rhubarb (or a combination of rhubarb and strawberries)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter in a bowl, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. Press half of crumbs into a 9-inch baking pan. Add diced rhubarb. Combine 1 cup sugar with cornstarch, water and vanilla in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until mixture simmers and is thick and clear. Pour over rhubarb. Top with remaining crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.
Adapted from greatermidwestfoodways.com
