Cooking with Pete and Barb Marczyk: Strawberry rhubarb crisp

Barb Macfarlane

Pete Marczyk and Barbara Macfarlane do not leave their work behind when they leave Marczyk Fine Foods and head for their great old Denver house with the big, new kitchen. They often bring some of their market's choicest ingredients home with them, and cook up a feast.

Rhubarb season is in full swing, and according to Barb, most of us actually have a plant in our backyards if we live in an old neighborhood. Who knew? Barb's rhubarbs are more green than red, but she insists that even the green rhubarbs have a "great, tart taste." Her rhubarb tart recipe calls for two pounds of fruit; she uses one pound of fresh strawberries and one pound of rhubarb. And while there is a whooping two cups of sugar, Barb advises that you use it all, since rhubarb is so sour.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Filling ingredients

1 pound rhubarb stalks, washed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pound fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
1/2 cup flour
2 cups sugar, plus additional 2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top
4 tablespoons butter

Pâte Brisée (recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Dough Directions

1. In the bowl or food processor, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, eight to ten seconds.
2. With the machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube.
3. Pulse the mixture until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than thirty seconds. If it's too crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
4. Divide dough into a ball. Flatten into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least one hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to one month.

Assembly and Baking Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Combine rhubarb, strawberry, sugar and 1/2 cup flour. Stir and set aside.
2. Butter an 8x8 glass baking dish.
3. Toss in the fruit mixture, spread it out in the baking dish, and take the chilled dough and crumble it over the top.
3. Dot with 4 tablespoons butter, sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons sugar, and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the crust starts to brown.
4. Cool and serve with ice cream.

For more from Pete, Barbara and Marczyk Fine Foods, visit the market website. And be sure to check out Pete's blog.