Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

Yield Serves 10 Preheat the oven to 350F.

Make the streusel topping.

In a bowl, toss together the flour, sugars, and salt. Cut the butter into 1/4-inch cubes and add to the flour mixture. Using two knives or a pastry blender, chop and toss the butter simultaneously until the butter is pea-sized and coated with flour. Do not let the dough come together in a ball. Set the streusel aside at room temperature, uncovered.

Prepare the fruit.

Wash, dry, and quarter the strawberries. In a bowl toss together the strawberries, rhubarb pulp, flour, sugar, and salt. Pack the fruit mixture evenly on the bottom of the baking dish and top with the streusel. Do not pack the topping down.

Bake the crisp.

Bake until the crumb topping has browned and the fruit is bubbling beneath, 30 to 40 minutes. Allow the crisp to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Serving Suggestions Serve this crisp warm with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or crème fraîche. I also recommend the Basil Ice Cream (page 142), Coconut Cream Cheese Ice Cream (page 135), or Vanilla Bean and Lemon Verbena Parfait (page 158).

Storage This crisp is best eaten the day it is made but will keep, refrigerated, for 4 days.

Variations Hazelnut Streusel Topping: Omit 2 tablespoons of the flour and substitute 1/4 cup (1 ounce) ground hazelnuts in the dry ingredients.

Cinnamon or Cardamom Streusel Topping: Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or ground cardamom to the dry ingredients.

Oatmeal Streusel Topping: Omit 1/4 cup of the flour and substitute 1/2 cup raw oats in the dry ingredients.