It's That Time of Year Again...

I am referring to summer, time for jeans and boots to be hidden in the back of my closet and my summer dresses, shorts, and sleeveless tops to be dusted off.  What is also so great about this time of year you may ask?!  Fresh fruits and vegetables grown from nearby farms ready for picking.  Yes, I know, I am a food dork and I cannot help it. :)

I was in the mood for a fruity dessert and decided to whip up a strawberry rhubarb pie.  With all of the fresh strawberries lately I thought I should take advantage while I could.  In my family this is a favorite of mine as well as my mom's.  My Aunt Susie actually makes the best strawberry rhubarb pie I have ever tasted.  Well, the more I thought about it I realized it's also swimsuit season, which means a heavy buttery crust would not go well with my two piece at the pool.  Never fear, I decided to go with a healthier twist on an old favorite and make Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp.  The result, a sweet and slightly tart dessert covered with a crunchy granola like topping.  For those of you also trying to eat a little healthier this season I believe this is the perfect answer for your summer time dessert cravings.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Adapted from this recipe from Joy the Baker
makes 6 1/2-cup size ramekin cobblers

Ingredients:

For the fruit:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries
• 1 1/2 cups fresh rhubarb (I could not find any fresh rhubarb so I used frozen this time.  Make sure they are defrosted before mixing with the fresh fruit.)
• 2 Tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• a dash of nutmeg
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

For the topping:

• 1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats (not instant oats)
• 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the fruit with flour, spices and maple syrup.  Set aside while you assemble the topping.
3. In a separate medium sized bowl, combine the oats, flour, salt and spices.  In a small bowl whisk together the oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract and water.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend with a fork.  Make sure all of the dry ingredients are moistened by the oil and maple syrup mixture.
4. Add half a cup of the topping mixture to the fruit mixture and toss together.  Scoop fruit into ramekins, being sure to fill each cup to the top.  Spoon and pat topping onto each cup.  Sprinkle with an additional dose of ground cinnamon if you’d like.
5. Place the six ramekins on a clean baking sheet and place in the oven.  Bake for 35 minutes, or until bubbly and delicious.
6. Serve warm.