It was a blink of en eye from the shelter in place order to the end of the school year, summer kick-off, and throw in throw in racial injustice that has brought us to another tipping point. The images, stories, resources are flooding our social media streams. While necessary, can be overwhelming. Hope everyone is taking time to digest, learn, and most importantly care for themselves and their mental health during this movement in time. We all need to move forward with this being top of mind and not just as these critical events occur through time.
So here we are in June, summer is upon us and we mark 90 days at home this week. I’m still struggling to fill a summer schedule for a kid that just wants to play basketball with his friends all day. X Box rehab may be in his future, but honestly as least he gets to connect with his friends thru the games. A summer to remember, that is for certain.
We are all finding our way to some typical summer activities. Part of my summer schedule over the past ten years has been a CSA subscription. When I saw one my favorite shops in town offering CSA pickups from a farm in Michigan I signed up right away. Good year as any to sign up, as it was unknown the status of farmers markets taking place. And Mick Klug farm is one I buy from often at farmers markets.
The share I signed up is perfect size and is not an overwhelming amount of produce each week. It also includes local Chicago products like this amazing pie crust, hot sauce, scone mix. A fun surprise each week.
They have yet to disappoint. Lots of my favorites – ramps, asparagus, strawberries, blueberries, and rhubarb. Rhubarb always reminds me of my grandmother. She grew rhubarb in her garden and would make a delicious rhubarb crisp. And my mom used to make a delicious berry crisp. Strong summer flavor memories in my brain.
I tweaked it a bit, replaced graham crackers for cookies and removed the pecans, cut out a bit of the sugar. All told, still a tasty result.Last year ago I picked up a cookbook from an author that shares my moms name. It has a recipe that combines the best of both recipes of my grandmother and mom. There is nothing like baking this up and enjoying it outside on a nice summer evening.
Summer time!
Notes
I used a combination of ginger salt and vanilla bean salt.
Ingredients
- 4 cups strawberries, hulled and halved
- 4 cups rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 6 cookies, Ginger Snaps or Lorna Doone, crumbled
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, cut into small dice
Instructions
- Preheat over to 350° F.
- Combine strawberry, rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- In another bowl, combine brown sugar, cookies, flour, oats, and salt. Add butter and 2 tablespoons of water, mix together all ingredients with hands until a crumble texture is formed.
- Poor fruit mixture into a baking dish (11 x 9 or similar) and top with crumbly mixture.
- Bake 35 to 40 minutes.
Love food memories like that Jacky! And I can’t imagine having to keep kids entertained through this quarantine – you are doing an amazing job!
Maybe one day we can porch together!