I would love to tell you about my magical green thumb and my home garden, which overflows with luscious vegetables and fruits. This statement, however, would be a big lie. I do not have a green thumb, but one of my many dreams is to have a prolific home garden that feeds my household and several other needy families. It’s a lofty dream, to be sure. It’s on my list of high hopes along with a prize-worthy novel and settling in the south of France with my husband and an adoring band of rugrats.
This year, my tomatoes were close to nonexistent. There were only a few little red cherry tomatoes that K gulped down in mere seconds. Every last strawberry was eaten by the gluttonous birds. And, the squash? I had a million varieties, which started out bold and promising, but ended tragically when a mysterious mold attacked every single plant.
There was one sole survivor in the garden this year, however.
Rhubarb.
The rhubarb was gorgeous and full, shooting up without fuss during times of great neglect and times of torrential rains. Its bushy foliage nearly leapt out of my poor soil providing two separate harvests. It was a small miracle for which I am very thankful.
I snipped the last of the rhubarb just a couple of days ago. It was a sad harvesting in some respects. After all, the rhubarb was the only greenery left in my sorry raised beds that appear more like breeding grounds for invasive weeds than havens for growth.
I didn’t stay melancholic for long, however. Peaches are in season and, if you didn’t already know, peaches and rhubarb are a wonderful flavor combination. Throw them together and you have a little piece of heaven. It’s a little tart, tangy, and a touch sweet.
Moreover, peaches and rhubarb taste like late summer and that’s precisely the flavor to capture this week as the seasons are changing. There’s just no better way to celebrate the end of summer than with a peach and rhubarb crisp. Yes. Crisp. I’m a huge lover of the crisp. Sure, I love a cobbler or a crumble too, but something about a warm serving of crisp topped with a dollop of cool vanilla ice cream makes my heart sing.
Additionally, having a crisp recipe in your arsenal is essential. There are always going to be those times in life when the craving for something sweet hits with little notice. Perhaps you’ve just finished dinner and there’s nothing left in the sweet drawer. Or, on the other hand, you’ve been invited to a dinner party and are suddenly burdened with the awesome responsibility of bringing dessert. Bring a peach and rhubarb crisp. Or, whip up a strawberry crisp. Maybe even one with blueberries? Either way, this recipe for peach and rhubarb crisp is easy to prepare and an absolute crowd-pleaser. Learn it. Love it.
Fresh Peach Rhubarb Crisp
4 cups fresh peaches, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
2 cups fresh rhubarb cut into 1/4 inches pieces (green or pink variety)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tblsp. lemon juice
2/3 cup rolled old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
8 tblsp. butter, 1 stick, cold and chopped into 1/4 inches cubes
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large mixing bowl and let sit, covered, for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a second mixing bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter. You can use a pastry cutter for this purpose or your hands, but continue to combine the mixture until it comes together in small pea sized clumps.
Pour the fruit mixture into a 9 x 9 or similar sized baking dish. Pour the oat mixture over the top and spread evenly.
Bake until the top is brown and bubbling with fruit juices, about 40 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes before serving warm. Fresh ice cream or cream are wonderful on top!
* If you are interested in thickening your fruit mixture, you can add 1/2 tblsp. of sweet rice flour. If you do this, however, be sure to reduce the quantity of sugar in the same amount. This type of rice flour is quite sweet.
I love rhubarb desserts! That is one wonderful crisp.
Cheers,
Rosa
I grew up on apple crisp. I especially like it cold for breakfast right from the fridge. Sugar. Butter. Fruit. Peaches and rhubarb. Yes, I could get into that
I'm only able to produce a decent pie crust every full moon or so, which means that I'm a crisp kind of gal.
Thanks for the recipe!
I've never thought to put peaches and rhubarb together, but it sound fantastic! Crisps are at the top of my favorite dessert list.
Having a garden of my own is also a dream for me. I am incredibly bad at it!
Love this crisp combo! And your husband's photos, as usual, are amazing!
i wasn't aware of the rhubarb-peach affinity, but am glad to be now. everyone loves a good crisp, and it's always good to mix it up from the traditional. especially with resilient homemade rhubarb!
cheers,
*heather*
now that the weather seems to be cooling down here in the northwest, i really want to make this for breakfast! and yes, i'm in total love with the pacific northwest… it's just amazing!
I've always wanted to start a garden, I have high hopes for myself; but i think I will use the winter to brush up my skills!
But if i get some rhubard, then no matter what, it would have been worth, because I can make a crisp!
Ha! Too funny … I see what you mean. Maybe it IS a red head thing… honestly, how much dirt-work can you do when you go all lobster-red within the half hour? (Or is that just me?)
And yes, rhubarb was the one and only thing I ever successfully didn't kill, I mean grew, too.
This looks so delectable. Sorry the other plants didn't flourish, but the rhubarb looks gorgeous and you made a wonderful treat from it.
Looks yummy!
It is definitively crumble's time. I have just made a red fruits one.
Your looks absolutely inviting.
UMMM!
Hugs
Hey Robin, I agree that everyone should have a good crisp recipe in mind. They are so easy and the fruit can be interchanged according to season-a healthful dessert is worth memorizing (smile). Plus, rhubarb and peach sounds like a stellar combo.
Ooh, and so strange that you had no tomatoes. Hmm, do you garden according to companion planting ideals? Oh, and organic neem will usually keep fungus and certain vermin from bothering squash and other veggies too. Works wonders for me at least…?!
Yum is all I can say, give me rhubarb anything and I am happy! Ah yes the struggles of gardening, having that here also. Your rhubarb is in better shape than mine, I think our soil need some help, lots of help! The dish looks delish, will be making soon. thanks.
This looks absolutely fabulous! Thank you so much for sharing. Maybe a little ice cream on the side?
Mmm! This looks so good! My garden also not so good this year…however we do have an abundance of potatoes! I also like the idea of France + Rugrats! xo
I laugh when i read this cause i know exactly what you are talking about. I had peaches all over my house not knowing that to do and why all the peach recipes on my blog
But you can't go wrong with rhubarb, i LOVE rhubarb and my favorite is rhubarb and strawberry but i will have to try peches. Love the pictures.
Ohhh, I LOVE rhubarb. I am so jealous. We can't grow it where I live because it's too hot. I have never considered combining rhubarb and peaches but now I am intrigued.
P.S. Your garden sounds about like mine!
Awww, better luck next year. If your weather is anything like ours (California)…
The recipe sounds great…
This is a gorgeous crisp!
As the happy recipient of peach rhubarb crisp leftovers I can share with everyone that it was delicious–and the yellow/green combination of the fruit was pleasant to look at before I gobbled it down. Thanks Red!
I just made an apple crisp last night! I’ve never thought of putting peaches and rhubarb together, but now that I imagine it, it sounds perfect. I want some right now!!! ( : Our garden is also fading, but we are still getting some tomatoes, beans, and eggplant.