It's strawberry season and the markets are filled with this seasonal gorgeous red fruit. Just a great reminder that it's spring and summer is right around the corner.
One of my favorite fruit combinations is strawberry-banana. It's perfect for smoothies, yogurt and even ice cream. I figured why not put these two together and make it into an irresistible crumble. What a good idea that was. It is delicious. And the topping...I could eat it by the bowlful.
I washed my strawberries, hulled them and cut in to quarters lengthwise. This keeps them mostly intact as they bubble away in the oven. I decided to use my smallest cast iron skillet for this rustic dessert. I love the way it heats up and keeps things warm once removed from the oven. My whole family loved this dessert. I think it's the perfect ending to a summery meal. Next time I'm going to serve it with this fried chicken.
The plan was to have a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, but little did I know a gaggle of teenagers gobbled down a quart of ice cream without me knowing. Oh well. However, we did have some later with vanilla ice cream and it is an absolute must on top of this dessert, especially when warm.
Strawberry-Banana Crumble
Recipe Created by NoblePig.com | Serves: 8
Ingredients:
4 cups hulled and quartered strawberries
5-small-medium sized bananas, sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Topping:
1-1/4 cups old-fashioned oats (not quick-cooking)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
vanilla ice cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine strawberries, bananas, 1/4 cup flour, sugar, lemon juice and salt. Toss together gently to avoid bruising the bananas. Pour into a 10" cast iron skillet.
Combine all ingredients for topping and use fingertips to smush together until small clumps form. Completely cover strawberry-banana mixture with crumb topping.
Bake for 40 minutes or until mixture is bubbling on the sides.
Let sit for 15 minutes before serving. And absolutely serve with vanilla ice cream, this is a must.
Cathy owns a vineyard and winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. She is a food writer for Davis Life Magazine and blogs daily about wine, food and everyday living. She currently resides in Oregon with her husband and two sons. You can visit her at noblepig.com.