Summertime strawberries and rhubarb are redolent of my youth. In particular, they bring back memories of my English grandparents who lived in the gorgeous countryside that is the Cotswolds. My grandpa had a wonderful rhubarb patch in his garden, and I used to love making crumble when I went to stay with them. And my dear grannyย would take us to strawberry fields to pick our own juicy fruit to serve simply with cream.
It wasn’t until I came to the U.S. that I heard of strawberries and rhubarb combined. But it is a great combo and I urge you to try it. The sweetness of the berries, perfectly balances the sourness of the rhubarb.
But first, a word about crumble. Stateside, crumble isn’t a commonplace dessert. Cobblers are more popular, but to my mind, not as delicious. I like a crunch to my pudding. Cobblers are more cake-like in their consistency, as the recipe often calls forย the addition of milk or buttermilk. Crumble on the other hand, is more akin to non-bound pastry. You simply rub flour and butter together, add sugar, combine to your desired ‘clumpiness’ and pop in the oven atop your chosen fruit.
The permutations are endless: apple and cinnamon; peach and raspberry; blackberry and apple; apple and quince. You can create a fine crumble topping, resembling breadcrumbs, or my favorite, a more ‘chunky’ crunchy lid for your fruit. However you like it, this recipe will serve you well. Serve with ice cream, whipped cream or creme fraiche. Delicious!
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