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Strawberry rhubarb crumble (not rhubarb strawberry)


Strawberry rhubarb is always said in that order. Strawberry. Rhubarb. Never rhubarb strawberry. Goodness knows why, but I think we can all agree it just doesn't sound right the other way. It's not the only food pair that has a set order. Pepper and salt? Nope, it's like my ears are allergic to that. I need an extra second to compute. When food pairs are said in the right order there's no confusion. I don't take sugar and milk in my tea, but I do take milk and sugar, even if I don't necessarily add them in that order (cuz I don't). Here are some other food pairs I can think of that just don't sound right when said in the reverse order: 

  • Chips and fish
  • Butter and bread
  • Jelly and peanut butter
  • Potatoes and meat

Can you think of any others? The order of food pairs was on my mind as I made this strawberry rhubarb crumble with spring's first harvest of rhubarb from my kitchen garden. Those tart stalks are chopped and, combined with chopped strawberries, tossed with sugar right in the baking dish. A simple crumble is sprinkled over top before going into the oven to bake until golden and bubbly. There's absolutely no confusion here, just a simple and scrumptious dessert. Strawberry. Rhubarb.


Here's how I made it:
makes 4-6 servings

1 1/2 lbs rhubarb stalks, chopped into 1/2-inch chunks (about 5 1/2 cups)
1/2 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
1 1/4 cups oats (either rolled or quick-cooking)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt

While my oven preheated to 375 degrees (F), I added the chunks of strawberries and rhubarb to my 9 x 9 baking dish. The sugar and flour were mixed in a small dish then tossed with the strawberries and rhubarb right in the baking dish to evenly coat. In a large mixing bowl, I combined the butter, oats, brown sugar and salt and blended with a hand pastry blender until evenly crumbly (a fork and a strong arm would work just as nicely). The crumble was sprinkled evenly over the strawberry rhubarb mixture, then the dish was popped in the oven for 45-50 minutes until the filling was bubbling and the crumble topping was golden.

Can you think of any other food pairs that are always said in the same order?