Rhubarb-Strawberry Cobbler (gluten-free)

Here is something that's easy to put together 

and bake when the rhubarb and 

strawberry season collide (mesh?).

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 slightly heaping cups).  NEVER EVER use ANY part of the rhubarb leaves!
• 1 pound fresh strawberries (1 quart?), thickly sliced.
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar.  (Add one more tablespoon if you prefer more "sweetness".)
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon corn starch.  (You could use same amount of wheat flour OR all-purpose white flour as the thickener IF you do not need this recipe to be gluten-free.)

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• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats.
• 1 cup almond meal flour.
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds.
• 2/3 cup  sugar.  (I use half white, half brown.)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger.

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• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 egg whites, slightly beaten.
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla, optional.

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
• Place the rhubarb and strawberries into a medium-sized bowl.   After mixing the sugar and corn starch together very well, dump it over the rhubarb and strawberries...stir well, to coat evenly.  Put this sugared mixture into a 10-inch oven proof dish OR a round skillet (I used my 10" cast iron frying pan.)
• In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, almond meal flour, sliced almonds, sugar(s), and ginger. Add the slightly beaten egg whites and melted butter.  Stir together until blended evenly.
• Spread the "dough" mixture evenly over the fruit mixture. Using a teaspoon, I took little dabs of the sticky mixture and plopped them on top of the sugared fruit layer, staying about 1/2" away from the edges of the dish, then evened it out a bit more.  Like this...

Above:  Just for "because", I put some more sliced almonds on top before sticking it into the oven.

• Bake in 350-degree for about 35-40 minutes.  It's done when the rhubarb can be seen bubbling around the edge and the topping is crisp and lightly golden like this... 

• Allow the cobbler to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.  Enjoy this while it's still hot or at room temperature.  

 Enjoy it "naked" like this....

OR, "dressed up" like this...

Through the years, I've found this basic recipe also works with other fruit-- including pitted cherries, blueberries, peaches, etc.  (For juicier fruit, just adjust the amount of "thickener" you add.)

OR, ...you can do a computer search (google?) and find a good recipe for Apple Crisp or Fruit Crisp to get the directions for a topping YOU like better and take it from there.