Cheap Thrills: Straw-Cran-Rhubarb Crumble

My memory can be fuzzy, yes, but I seem to remember munching on chunks of bright red, tart, raw rhubarb as a kid.

Years later with a new shopping buddy, I was ready for some rhubarb reminiscing, but my friend exclaimed, “Raw rhubarb is toxic! You have to cook it, preferably with strawberries and orange! ”

Unwilling to voluntarily test which of us was right, I have since only eaten cooked or baked rhubarb, nearly all of it containing strawberries for some reason.

1) Soak:

1/4 cup dried cranberries in hot water for 5 minutes.

2) Toss together:

4 cups 1/2-inch sliced strawberries

4 cups 1/2-inch sliced rhubarb

1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Set aside.

3) In another bowl, blend:

drained cranberries

2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons butter

4) Transfer rhubarb mixture to a 2-quart buttered casserole dish.

5) Top with crumb mixture.

6) Bake at 350 °F for 30-35 minutes, until bubbly.

7) Cool 10 minutes.

8) Serves 4-6. Or just you if you can avoid sharing.