As with the rest of humanity, at least those of us with half a brain, we basically remain confined to quarters except for necessary trips to local purveyors of food, drink, and other essentials. And perhaps it can be argued that strawberries are not an essential, but at Chez Carr they are as close as it comes! I mean really, who doesn’t own a car that automatically slows down the minute a fresh fruit stand comes in sight? Even before either of our minds can register that stopping for fresh fruit is a really a good idea, our car has made the decision for us. We haven’t even begun a discussion when the brakes are being gently applied, the turn signal is on, and the car has started making a turn if appropriate. Now if your car isn’t helping you out in this manner, maybe you simply haven’t trained it well enough. That of course is between you and your car. I’m not making any judgement calls here. I’m a blog writer, not a car clinician! I’m just saying that it’s nice to have a car that knows what we’re thinking before we do!   

So with an abundance of fresh strawberries at hand, I decided a crumble would be a perfect dessert to share with friends. Socially distancing of course! And since I already had cut up rhubarb in the freezer, I decided to go first cabin. A rhubarb and strawberry extravaganza. After all, our guests, Peggy, Mark, and Vicki were worth the ingredients and the effort! And these bars, recipe compliments of cookingclassy.com, seemed to be enjoyed by everyone. I mean really, crunchy and fruity goodness cut into squares and dolloped with vanilla ice cream, what’s not to like?

And I had especially appreciated how easy they were to prepare. No mixer involved. And just a couple of bowls and hand utensils to clean up.

So all in all, a lovely way to celebrate strawberries.

As always, stay safe, stay sane, and stay objective. Usually if something makes sense, like wearing a mask to not only protect yourself but also those you come in contact with, just do it. Please don’t put a political spin on it. It’s not a matter of political party preference, or rights being infringed upon, or any of the other machinations being touted by the ill-informed. Wearing a mask is merely a way of showing good old fashioned common sense. And right now, more than ever, we need as much common sense displayed as possible. Peace and love to all.

Crumb Layer:

1⅓ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. kosher salt

1⅓ c. old fashioned oats

½ c. brown sugar, packed    

½ c. granulated sugar

¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Stir in the oats, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.   

Melt the butter in a small pan. Whisk in the vanilla and pour over the oat mixture. Stir until the mixture is evenly moistened. 

Press two thirds of the mixture into a lightly buttered 9×9 or 7×11-inch pan. Set the remaining one third aside.

Filling:

⅓ c. granulated sugar

1 T. cornstarch

pinch kosher salt

1 T. fresh lemon juice

2 c. diced strawberries 

2 c. diced rhubarb

Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and lemon juice together in a bowl. Gently stir in the rhubarb and strawberries. Pour over the bottom crumb crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumb crust evenly over the filling.  

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until top is golden brown and crisp and the filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes regular oven, 10 minutes convection (if you have that option). 

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares and serve at room temperature or slightly warmed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.   

Store leftover crumble at room temperature.