So, if you don’t like rhubarb, then this post may not be for you! Growing up I had never tried rhubarb and I’m not so sure I would have liked it, but in this time in my life I can’t get enough and I don’t seem to be alone. I made a rhubarb pie at the cafe five times in one week. I think that is a record for us!
Rhubarb facts:
The redder the stalk the sweeter the flavor.
January 23rd is National Rhubarb Pie Day and June 9th is National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day
Rhubarb is actually a vegetable botanically speaking.
The leaves are poisonous. They contain high percentage of oxalic acid.
Originates from Asia.
Rhubarb can grow 6-10 ft high.
Often used in combination with strawberries, blueberries, and peaches.
Also known as “pie plant” because it is most commonly used for pies.
Brown dye from the root is used for dyeing hair.
Rhubarb can be used for the purification of blood, to induce vomiting and prevent disease of gums.
Rhubarb can also mean a heated argument or dispute!
So lets grab those strawberries and rhubarb and get to choppin’!
You will need 3 cups rhubarb, 3 cups strawberries and 2 Tablespoons lime juice. Throw together in a saucepan and let cook about 8 minutes to soften the fruit chunks. It will then look like this!
Next, add 1 cup of sugar and 4 Tablespoons cornstarch that have been mixed together, to the saucepan and boil for 1 min. Remove from heat.
The Crust:
Crumble all crust ingredient. I like to do this by hand! 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups uncooked oatmeal, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/4 tsp salt
Keep about 2 cups back and press the rest into a 9×13 inch pan. I pressed some of it up on the sides to, to create lip to hold in the strawberry rhubarb mix in.
Then, sprinkle the remaining crust mixture over the top. Make sure to leave a little of the strawberry rhubarb mixture in the saucepan for tasting! Yum!
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until the top crust is lightly browned.
There you have it! A bar that is sure to be a summer time pleaser!
Strawberry Rhubarb Bar
3 cups chopped strawberries
3 cups chopped rhubarb
2 Tbsp. Lime juice
1 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
Crust:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups uncooked oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
Combine rhubarb, strawberries, and lime juice in a saucepan and cook on medium heat for about 8 minutes or until fruit is softened. Then, add sugar and cornstarch that have been mixed together to keep the cornstarch from clumping. Boil 1 minute. Set aside. For the crust, crumble together the all the crust ingreadients. Reserve about 2 cups and press the rest in to a greased 9×13 pan. Pour strawberry rhubarb mixture on to the crust and top with the remaining 2 cups of crust mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until the top is lightly browned and the filling is bubbly around the edges.
Took this picture on a misty Saturday morning. We stepped outside between a sunrise and a rainbow shower. I like how this picture captures the pure white and water droplets of the passing rain. It’s the little things!
Psalms 51:7 – Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow