Baked Strawberry, Rhubarb and Parsley Crisp

By Alysha Melnyk

Strawberries and rhubarb, a classic early summer combination. Growing up, I would always have strawberry rhubarb pie this time of year (paired with ice cream of course!). There wasn’t a farm stand in Lancaster County that wasn’t stocked with these pies, and I am betting I made my Mom stop at every single one.

This recipe is a bit of a “change-up” from those pies I devoured as a kid. A less sugar, simpler crisp version that focuses heavily on the strawberry and rhubarb flavors, with just a hint of parsley for added savory and surprise (because, who expects parsley in their dessert?).

I love “crisp” recipes – it’s the ultimate combination of my loves for granola and oatmeal. I use local maple syrup as the only sweetener in this recipe aside of the strawberries. And, if you opt for the heavy cream topper, a bit of powdered sugar in that will give it a nice balance. It also would pair very nicely with some ice cream if you have it on hand!

This dessert can be enjoyed warm (as you can see in the photo, melting that whipped cream quickly!) but is also extraordinarily good chilled (I personally feel more of the fruit flavors come out this way). Enjoy in good health!

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F.

2. While your oven is preheating, in a small baking dish take 1 tablespoon of salted butter and spread the butter all over the inside of the dish as a light coating.

2. Next, add into the baking dish your rhubarb, strawberries, 1/4 cup of the torn parsley leaves, and 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup. Mix to combine.

3. In a small separate bowl, mix your rolled oats, raw pecans and whole wheat flour. Using a knife or pastry cutter, add in your salted butter and thoroughly distribute but cutting the butter pieces into small portions throughout the mix. Lastly, stir in your remaining 1/4 cup parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup.

4. Pour the “crisp” contents of this bowl over your mixture in the baking dish and spread into an even layer on top.

5. Place uncovered in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the crisp top is lightly browned.

6. Top with whipped cream, extra strawberries and parsley if desired.

Enjoy warm or chilled!

Alysha Melnyk is the Founder and Content Creator of The Kitchenologist©, a food blog dedicated to healthy eating and kitchen experiments. Melnyk combined her background in biology with her passion for making food delicious, eye-catching, and accessible. When she’s not cooking in the kitchen or dreaming up a recipe, Melnyk works full time as an Implementation Specialist at ECRI, an international medical nonprofit located suburban Philadelphia that is dedicated to improving patient safety worldwide. Melnyk finds her many career passions revolve around the power of knowledge and that equipping people with the right tools and resources will help them make better informed decisions.