Book: I finished the 750 pages of “Alexander Hamilton” by Ron Chernow. I loved it so much I now have his new book “Washington” as well which is 800 pages! But it goes by quickly and written so well that the length is really no bother. Chernow found 50 new essays that had not been previously discovered on Alexander Hamilton detailing much more about the duel that caused his death and his elusive time in the Caribbean during his youth. If anything the book gives you insight into the founding of our country and the men who set in motion the direction of the United States of America at a time when there was no United States. He really was a true genius for creating all that he did from writing the Federalist papers, creating the National bank, the Coast Guard, the debt, and the coins that we used today.
Recipe:
I hope you had a GREAT weekend! Now is the time we are picking our zucchini, tomatoes and rhubarb out of the ground! But how do you use rhubarb?
Well, don’t eat the leaves 🙂 They are toxic. But the rest is delicious!
I know rhubarb and strawberry combinations are super popular. But apples are always around and last a lot longer.
Anyway – make this if you like desserts! At all. It is super easy and delicious. I have made 3 batches so far this summer. Now, I don’t like super sickly sweet. This crisp you actually taste the rhubarb and it does not require mounds of vanilla ice cream to cut the sweetness. We added a little whipped cream, but even that was just a little and not totally necessary. If you do like sickly sweet desserts, there are other recipes that add up to twice as much sugar.
Didn’t grow any rhubarb? That’s okay! Your grocery store will have it.
- 1.5 pounds (6 cups) rhubarb, sliced into ¾" pieces
- 2 cups or 2 Granny Smith apples, cut into ¾" pieces (I leave the skin on, feel free to remove)
- ⅓ cup white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose)
- 1 and ⅛ cup (9 ounces) sugar
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup (4 ounces) brown sugar
- ¾ cup (3 ounces) white whole wheat flour or all purpose
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or ¼ cup butter + ¼ cup Greek yogurt, cold and cut up
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease or spray a 9x9" dish or ceramic dish about the same size.
- In a great big bowl: mix your rhubarh, apple, ⅓ cup flour, sugar, salt and lemon juice. Toss to combine. Pour into the baking dish.
- In a medium bowl: mix the brown sugar, ¾ cup flour, oats, salt and cinnamon. Once mixed, scatter the butter (or butter and yogurt combo) throughout and mix with your fingertips until the topping becomes crumbly. Add this on top of the fruit filling. Bake for 40-50 minutes. The top will be brown and the fruit filling bubbly.
