Strawberry & Rhubarb Crumble

I really think that summer could be here. I was away in Stockholm for the first four days of the month (Travel post coming soon), but since I came back the weather has been positively balmy. So far, my prediction that bad May means good summer is proving to be correct (though I realise there is a lot of time left in which I could be proven wrong).

I often miss the Rhubarb season, but this year I have been snapping so much of it up from the discount shelf at the supermarket that I have had way too much than I know what to do with. I have mostly been waiting too long to use it, then stewing the fruit so that I can eat it later on. Yesterday, though, I decided to change it up a bit.

I've never actually put strawberries and rhubarb together, but I am so glad that I did. The flavours really do marry well together. I always love a good crumble, but here there is also a nice contrast in flavour as the strawberries are very soft, whilst the rhubarb is still quite firm (though if you want, you could cook the crumble for longer or stew the fruit first). My only issue is that the fruit released so much liquid whilst cooking, that the crumble is basically swimming in a fruit syrup. I will try to harvest the syrup after the crumble is finished; Supergolden Bakes has some great (and, even better, boozy) uses for rhubarb and strawberry syrup.

This Strawberry & Rhubarb Crumble can be served hot or cold, alone or with custard or ice cream.

Note: I didn't make enough crumble topping for a thick layer over the fruit; if you prefer this, double the flour and butter, and use another 75g caster sugar.

Ingredients

• 225g Caster Sugar
• 150g Plain Flour
• 75g Butter
• 400g Strawberries
• 400g Rhubarb

Recipe

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan and find an oven proof dish that is approx 10inx10in
• Make the crumble topping by dumping 75g of the caster sugar, all of the flour and the butter into a mixing bowl and rubbing together with your finger tips until the mixture loosely resembles breadcrumbs. 
• Hull and halve the strawberries, and chop the rhubarb into 1cm/0.5in chunks.
• Layer the strawberries, rhubarb and remaining caster sugar in your oven proof dish. You could toss the fruit in a couple of tablespoons of cornflour here to avoid my situation, where the crumble is almost drowned in syrup.
• Top with the crumble topping, and sprinkle with a little extra sugar if desired.
• Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.