By Jolene Goodman | Lake Panorama Times
As a kid, you could find me following my mother around the yard while she planted, weeded and tended to her flowers and plants. Our backyard wasn’t overflowing with produce — just a small strawberry patch lined with rhubarb. Back then, I wasn’t a fan. Rhubarb was a little too bold for my taste. But, over time, especially when paired with apples and a bit of sugar, it won me over. Now, I look forward to it every year.
Rhubarb is also one of the easiest and most rewarding plants to grow. Give it a sunny spot — ideally on the south side of your house or garage — and it will thrive with very little fuss.
This crisp is inspired by my mother’s classic apple crisp. Sort of. Like my mother, I don’t really measure ingredients for these kinds of treats, which has made sharing the recipe a bit tricky over the years. Sometimes I add nuts or oatmeal. Sometimes I mix in apples. But one thing never changes: a generous, crispy crumble topping. If it’s not crisp, we’re not doing it right.
So, for the sake of sharing (and finally having something more useful to say than “just eyeball it”), I actually paid attention while making it this time. What you will find here is my best attempt at a real recipe. That said… I probably added a little extra of something along the way. I encourage you to do the same. That’s where the magic happens.
Jolene Goodman is the advertising director for Lake Panorama Times and vice president of Big Green Umbrella Media.
Jolene’s Rhubarb Crisp
Ingredients:
- 5 cups of rhubarb
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup oatmeal
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup butter, room temperature (if it gets too dry, add a little more butter)
Directions:
Chop rhubarb in half inch pieces and place into an 8×8-inch dish. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients, then add butter. Cut butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly. Spread crumble mixture over rhubarb. Bake uncovered at 350 F for 45 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.