The Last Pie of Summer

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble: Even Easier Than Pie

One of the best parts of summer is fruit that bursts with juice, dripping with sunshine. Or a fresh pie, with fruit that becomes even sweeter and more fragrant with baking. But, to tell you the truth, I’ve always been intimidated by pie crust, let alone gluten-free pie crust. So this summer I took a classic strawberry rhubarb pie and turned it into a gluten-free strawberry rhubarb crumble, with no crust and a sweet crisp topping that everyone loves. Plus, if you substitute margarine (I like Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks) instead of butter, it easily becomes a delicious, would-never-believe-it vegan, gluten-free dessert.

The crumble topping uses pure gluten-free oats. For a discussion on gluten-free oats, please see a story I wrote, Feel Your Oats, for Living Without magazine, a great magazine for people who are gluten-free or have food sensitivities.

Recipe: Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

(gluten-free, vegan, pareve, non-dairy)
By Gluten-Free Nosh
printable recipe

Ingredients:
Crumb topping:

• 3/4 cup certified gluten-free oats*
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, diced

Fruit filling:

• 4 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 2 cups rhubarb sliced about 1/2 inch thick
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. To make the crumb topping, place gluten-free oats, brown sugar, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl; stir to combine. Add diced butter, and work in with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, tapioca starch and lemon juice. Stir gently to combine.
4. Pour strawberry-rhubarb mixture into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly on top of the fruit. Place pie pan in oven (put a cookie sheet under the pie pan to catch any drippings), and cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

Yield: 8 servings

*Not all oats are gluten-free, because of cross-contamination. Be sure to buy pure oats that are certified gluten-free.