Taste of June

I always associate the month of June with many of my favorite things: strawberries, peonies, pearls, the end of another school year, my grandmother whose birthday is Flag Day, and the official beginning of summer. But nothing is more reminiscent of June than strawberry rhubarb crisp, my most favorite dessert to make and eat. I've always liked strawberries. And I've always liked rhubarb.

Three years ago, I was in New England for a friend's wedding having dinner here. It was a cozy little restaurant in a quaint little town, very unassuming and very inviting. There was a moment during dinner when I watched dessert being delivered to the next table, and knew I had to try what it was I had my eye on: strawberry rhubarb crisp. When the waiter brought mine out of the kitchen, I was in heaven. The buttery crisp topping, combined with the sweet strawberries, tart rhubarb and melting vanilla ice cream made for a delicious combination. It was one of my most memorable restaurant experiences, and since then, I've been trying to perfect my own crisp using the restaurant's recipe as a guide.

(Yes, I emailed the chef after I got home and he was nice enough to share his recipe with me).

The colors are just beautiful, all mixed in together with sugar. I got my ingredients during my trip to the public market, in anticipation of company coming to visit.

It comes out of the oven piping hot, ready to be paired with vanilla bean ice cream.

Can't you just taste it? The taste of summer-right-around-the-corner?

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

1 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups sliced fresh strawberries

3 cups diced rhubarb

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup butter

1 cup rolled oats

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup toasted almonds, sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine and macerate white sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, strawberries, and rhubarb until sugar dissolves. Place the mixture in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, butter, oats, and almonds until crumbly. Sprinkle topping over strawberry and rhubarb mixture. Bake 45 minutes, or until topping has color and juices are bubbly and run clear. Top with vanilla ice cream.