Art you can eat: A taste of summer straight from the garden. This rhubarb and berry crisp is a perfect representation of the season's bounty.
A perfect crisp recipe that combines the tartness of rhubarb with the sweetness of summer berries
Most of the folks who visit our site know that we’re a small arts collective scattered across a few northern regions. We love to explore the arts, climate entrepreneurship, sustainable agriculture and food security, among others. But there’s one thing we love more than making art and photographing nature … and that’s eating it.
When the weather warms and the ground thaws, the first crop to emerge from our living land lab gardens is the tart, beautiful stalks of rhubarb. While it’s a perfect pairing for a sweet strawberry pie, we’ve found that it truly shines when combined with the late summer sweetness of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries in a hearty, rustic crisp. The vibrant colors and flavors of the berries meld with the rhubarb’s tang, creating a symphony of taste that celebrates the bounty of the season.
The process is as simple as it is rewarding. We start by chopping the rhubarb and combining it with the berries, a little sugar, and a dash of cornstarch to thicken the juices. While that’s setting, we mix up the crisp topping, a simple blend of oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. It’s the kind of hands-on, no-fuss baking that reminds us of the joy of creating something beautiful and delicious from scratch.
Once assembled, it’s baked to a golden-brown perfection, filling the air with an aroma that’s as comforting as a warm hug.
Rhubarb & Berry Crisp
For the filling:
- 4 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups mixed berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the topping:
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease an 8×8 inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped rhubarb, mixed berries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Stir until the fruit is evenly coated. Pour the fruit mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Drizzle in the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture is crumbly and well combined.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit filling.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.
- Let the crisp cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
There’s a special kind of warmth that comes from sharing a meal, especially one made with your own hands. We often bake this crisp after one of our collective meetings, a simple tradition that turns a day of hard work and big ideas into a moment of shared joy. Using ingredients sourced entirely from our own gardens and those of our neighbors—the rhubarb, the berries, even the oats—makes it taste that much sweeter.
For us, this dish isn’t just a dessert; it’s a reminder that food is a powerful way to build community and a sense of belonging. We encourage you to try it yourself, sharing it with your friends and family. Because a recipe is a conversation, and every shared plate is a new connection.
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