Rhubarb’s ready? Dust off time-tested recipe for tart crisp

This Rhubarb Crisp recipe is in honor of two friends and a radio station. Twenty years ago last month, when Jamie and I moved to Islesboro, the radio station WERU-FM had just come on the air. The early morning hours featured a program co-hosted by Karen Frangoulis and some fellow whose name I have forgotten. One morning Karen offered this crisp recipe, and since rhubarb was the only domesticated edible growing on our property that May, I wrote it down and made a pan full. We loved it. Since then, I have made it faithfully every May to observe the anniversary of our island living, and many of our friends have had it at our house and then asked for the recipe.

Our friend Anne Renarde, who spends a lot of the summer on Vinalhaven with her main squeeze, Dan, has only rhubarb in her garden now because she doesn’t plant other vegetables. We gave her the recipe years ago, and she called this morning to say how much she loves sitting down to a bowlful of it.

And our artist friend Keith Schneider of Liberty, who wintered on the island, was another who asked for it recently, prompting me to choose it for the column this week. Plus we can thank and congratulate WERU for 20 years of community radio broadcasting and a terrific dessert to boot.

I bake this crisp in a 9-by-13 Pyrex baking dish, doubling the amount of rhubarb and making one and a half times the topping. You can do whatever you please. If you like a deep juicy filling, then you will prefer a deeper baking dish.

Anne says she uses cardamom as one of the spices. The recipe calls for cinnamon but she always adds an equal amount of ground cardamom. That turns out to be a great idea if you like that spice as much as I do.

Another secret. I found this topping is perfectly suited to blueberry and apple crisps, as well, each in their own season.

Rhubarb Crisp

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Filling:

4 cups rhubarb chopped

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon cardamom (optional)

1/2 cup water

Mix these ingredients together and put into a greased baking dish.

Topping:

1 cup flour

1 cup oats

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

Mix the ingredients together until you have a lumpy-looking topping. Distribute evenly over the filling. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.