Rhubarb Blueberry Crisp

Gardens in New Zealand are teeming with rhubarb, one of my favorite vegetables that I never use. Our lovely hosts Chris and Paula sent us away with a large bunch of their crop, so I decided to do some baking.

Growing up, I had never heard of rhubarb. It wasn't until I lived in Scotland that I became familiar with the tangy and delicious dessert, rhubarb crumble. When you're looking for them in a shop, the stalks look a bit like pink celery. While they are technically a vegetable, they are used like fruits, usually in baked desserts like this one.

Usually I see recipes for rhubarb & strawberry desserts, because the strawberry (ahem, and lots of sugar) balances out the tartness of the rhubarb. I rather like the sour flavor, so I went with blueberries, which are also tart in their own way. With the crisp topping and ice cream on top, I think it's just perfect.

Rhubarb Blueberry Crisp

Filling:

• 2 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1 inch pieces

• 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, defrosting is not necessary)

• juice of 1 lemon

• 2 Tbsp demerara or raw sugar

• 1 Tbsp brown sugar

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup melted butter (use 1/4 cup, then add more if needed for mixing)

• 1/4 cup flour

• 2/3 cup oats

• 1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds and walnuts)

• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds (I didn't have a grinder, so I used whole seeds on top of the filling instead)

• zest of 1 lemon

• 1 inch finely shredded fresh ginger

• 4 Tbsp demerara or raw sugar

Preheat oven to 390ºF/200ºC. 

Combine & toss filling ingredients in baking dish. Stir topping ingredients together in mixing bowl, then break into small lumps on top of the filling to cover. Bake for 25-35 minutes until topping is golden brown and filling bubbles. Serve warm, topped with ice cream. We used Tip Top's boysenberry ripple, and it was a great combination.