Tasty Tuesday

I am a huge fan of farmers markets and eating local. Summer is the best season for fruits and I've been having a blast making crumbles with different fruits as they come in season over the past month. I found the original recipe in Bon Appetit magazine (May 2010) and modified it a bit, then keep mixing up the fruit as things come in and out of season. It has been a huge hit with family and friends.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Crumble:

3/4 cup all purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

large pinch of salt

6 tbs chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup husked hazelnuts, toasted, coursely chopped

**I leave out the nuts and add a dash of cinnamon**

Combine flour, sugar and salt (and cinnamon if using) in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Add butter. Rub in with fingertips until mixture sticks together in clumps. Mix in oats and nuts (if using).

Fruit:

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 pound strawberries, hulled, halved

12 ounces rhubarb, ends trimmed, stalks cut crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup sugar

**I don't use the vanilla bean**

Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean into sugar (if using); whisk to blend well. Add strawberries and rhubarb to sugar and toss to coat well. Spoon fruit into buttered 11x7x2 inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle oat topping evenly over filling.

Bake at 375 until filling bubbles thickly and topping is crisp - about 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Variations:

I've never made this the same way twice since I like to use fresh, in season fruit. Here are some of my creations:

Sour cherries, strawberries and blueberries

Sour cherries, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries (I call this one a Very Berry Crumble)

Strawberries and peaches (Peach Blush Crumble) - this one was my favorite.

All of them taste great with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

I'm planning on trying a peach plum crumble next, and thinking apple pear in the fall.

Enjoy!! If you try this and come up with a new variation, please share!

yes, we're still alive

wow...I knew it had been a long time since I wrote anything, but I didn't realize it had been almost a year!! Things got kinda crazy after finding out I was pregnant again and it was one hell of a school year. In preparation for the new baby, I felt like I couldn't spend any time on the computer unless it was work related and wanted to spend as much time with my daughter as possible. I was really worried about how life was going to change with the introduction of a new baby and how she was going to react. But I have to say, I couldn't have asked for anything better than it has been. It was a rocky start to our life as a family of 4, but Alessia totally embraced being a big sister and has been great with her little brother Gianni. My little man is going to be 4 months tomorrow, and I'm feeling like I need to get back some mommy-time and back to some blogging and venting. So expect some new posts coming up!

Nothing too exciting lately, except that my family has seem to caught baby fever since I announced my pregnancy! My cousin just had her first, a beautiful little girl, last week and we have 3 more babies coming in the fall - 1 girl, 1 boy and 1 ?? I love babies!! It's nice that the family is growing since between my husband's family and mine, we lost 3 people in 2009-2010. It's been a year of ups and downs, but hey, that's life isn't it?

Time is short, and I'm starting to ramble, so I'm off for now. Things to expect: some fun recipes I've been trying, summer craft ideas for the kids when it's too hot to go outside and, of course, updates on my crazy family!