Rhubarb Crisp
Inroduction
About this Recipe
After a long Manitoba winter, harvesting the first rhubarb is one of the most exciting thing about springtime!
Ingredients
* 150 g (1 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons whole wheat FaspaFarm flour (you can substitute all-purpose flour for a lower fibre version)
* 1/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar (or other granular sweetener like monk fruit, stevia etc)
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
* 900 grams (around 6 large stalks or 6 cups) fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (OR you can substitute some strawberries if they’re in season as well)
* 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
* Juice of 1 orange
* 1 t vanilla
* 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
* 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Fresh rhubarb is usually available from mid-May on our farm.
Nutrition
Rhubarb is high in oxalic acid and too much can be poisonous as it’s a bit of an “anti-nutrient”. That means it binds with calcium (so the calcium in the food is no longer able to be used by your body) and forms calcium oxalate. This can get backed up when passing through your kidneys and OW hurts like a *$#%& trying to pass its way through (i.e. kidney stones). This is why we're not supposed to eat the rhubarb leaves, as these are even high in oxalic acid compared with the more edible (and gorgeous) stems.
It’s a decent source of fibre (1.8 g/100 gram of rhubarb) and contains small amounts of pretty much every mineral and vitamin that we measure and contains anti-oxidants.
It is usually mixed with a TON of sugar to balance out its astringency, somewhat negating any healthful benefits it once possessed. Try using it as a vegetable – it’s a nice flavour-enhancer in soups, stews, curries, mixed with tomato sauces and chutneys or salsas.
Step by Step Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F). Butter six 220 g (8 oz) ramekins (or a 2 1/2 Litre shallow casserole), and set aside. Make crumb mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and oats. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in chilled butter until mixture comes together into clumps, about 4 to 5 minutes; set aside.
In a large bowl, stir to combine rhubarb, zest, orange juice, and vanilla seeds. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch; sprinkle over rhubarb until just coated. Pour 1 cup rhubarb mixture into each ramekin, and top with 1/2 cup crumb mixture. Bake until the rhubarb is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 30 minutes (or about 40 minutes for the casserole). Transfer from oven to a cooling rack. Let cool slightly, and serve warm.