SUMMER RHUBARB-WALNUT CRISP

So my first encounter with rhubarb was a funny one... the summer before third grade, my friend and I decided that we wanted to have a farmers market on our front porch. Since we happened to find rhubarb growing in my backyard, we decided that would be the perfect item to sell at a summer market. About a half an hour after we set up shop, my neighbor, our first and only customer of the day, came over to browse our produce and ended up buying all of our rhubarb for a dollar (what a deal!). Just after she paid, the woman very kindly told us that next time we should sell the rhubarb stalks because the greens were poisonous. Whoops! At least I learned at an early age, right?

Now rhubarb is one of my favorite summer ingredients! I'm sure I'll be posting quite a few recipes, so I won't ruin the surprise now by listing all the wonderful uses of rhubarb, but this recipe is a new favorite!

summer rhubarb-walnut crisp

2 cups rhubarb, thinly sliced
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9X13 baking dish. Mix the sliced rhubarb with the granulated sugar in the baking dish and spread evenly across the bottom. Process the oatmeal, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor until fine. Add the walnuts and pulse briefly. Then pour in the olive oil and maple syrup; process until combined. Sprinkle the walnut topping over the rhubarb and bake for 45 minutes until bubbly. Remove from the oven and serve warm.