This week brought new arrivals to our little homestead: nine young hens shipped all the way from Montana. I was anxious while they were in transit and lost a bit of sleep until I picked them up at the post office, but they have settled in beautifully. They’re already roosting in the coop on their own each night, which is a relief because our wooded property has plenty of predators that would love a chicken dinner.

With the flock comfortable and safe, I’ve returned to the kitchen full of energy. Early summer’s strawberry season tempted me into picking three large flats of berries. Faced with that bounty, I preserved most of them: I made two kinds of jam, froze whole strawberries for smoothies, and prepared a strawberry‑rhubarb freezer jam that I use in all sorts of baking — including the bars I’m sharing here.

These bars are versatile; any jam will work, but the strawberry‑rhubarb combination is exceptional. The interplay of ripe strawberry sweetness and rhubarb’s bright tartness is irresistible. If you don’t have prepared strawberry‑rhubarb jam, don’t worry — the filling recipe below is quick, and it works with fresh or frozen fruit. This recipe yields two 8‑inch pans, so you can bake both now or freeze one pan to enjoy later. The filling can be made a day ahead and refrigerated if you prefer to split the work into two sessions.

The “Girls” trying to cool off on a hot summer afternoon.

Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele

Strawberry Rhubarb Bars

Yield:
2 (8-inch) Pans

Prep Time:
15 minutes

Cook Time:
1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

Filling:

1 pound rhubarb, chopped
1 pound fresh or frozen strawberries, chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water

Crumb:

2 sticks plus 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons ice water
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

For the filling: combine the rhubarb and strawberries in a large saucepan with the cornstarch, sugar and water. Bring to a rapid boil, stirring constantly to prevent sticking.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and resembles jam, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease two 8-inch square cake pans.
Line the bottom and two sides of each pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang for easy removal.
To make the crumb: place the flour, brown sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.
Add half of the ice water, pulse, and add just enough of the remaining water for the dough to begin holding together when pressed.
Divide the dough: reserve about one-third for the topping and press the remaining two-thirds evenly into the bottoms of the prepared pans to form the base.
Spread the cooled jam filling evenly between the two pans.
Mix the oats, chopped walnuts and cinnamon into the reserved dough, then crumble this oat mixture evenly over the jam layer to cover it completely.
Bake the bars until the topping is golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes. Allow them to cool completely in the pans.
When cool, lift the bars from the pans using the parchment overhangs, peel off the paper, and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment or share a photo if you tried these bars — it’s always a joy to see how recipes turn out in your kitchen.