Going strawberry picking this weekend? Well, roll up those sleeves and pick until you can’t pick any more (I am an addictive fruit picker, there, I have admitted my weakness)! Why?! Because you can freeze these beauties! This way you can have farm fresh berries all year long, even in the depths of depressing winter. I even get out kids friends to come and help, free labor with the benefits of all you can eat berries. We’re just finishing ours from last year (yes, we do have an extra freezer just for our frozen fruits and veggies).
Rhubarb can be a little stringy. Often when I cut it, the outer layer will peel slightly. Peel this off and remove it in other areas as it happens. If you love rhubarb, you can freeze it also. Just wash and slice as you would for cobblers or muffins, place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 2 hours. Remove from the freezer and place into freezer bags or, better yet, a vacuum sealed bag. We love our vacuum sealer. It’s great for so many things, and really keeps your food better sealed.
Rhubarb From Our Garden
Tip on rhubarb: DON’T EAT THE LEAVES: while they look beautiful and just like swiss chard, they are toxic to the system (they’re VERY high in oxalic acid and can cause extreme digestive issues). Eat only the stalks, and enjoy. Save the leaves for your enemies (I’m just kidding, I hope you don’t have any enemies!).
If you’ve got your berries….you’re ready to dig in and make some cobbler! The base of the recipe can be used for just about any kind of fruit cobbler. Your typical cobbler recipe has a lot of fat (usually from butter) and sugar. This cobbler is actually healthy enough to be eaten for breakfast. Who doesn’t want dessert for breakfast?! You’re family will love you….
Ingredients:
Filling:
- 3#s of strawberries (or blueberries)-greens removed, we keep them whole, but cut in half if very large
- 3 cups of rhubarb, chopped
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 3 tbsp minute tapioca
- 3 tbsp honey or other liquid sweetener
Topping:
- 3 cups of oats
- 3 tbsp almond butter or other nut butter
- 3 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
Instructions:
- Place filling ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat.
- Spread into a 9×13 baking pan
- Place topping ingredients in a bowl and mix. I use my hands for this. I feel that the heat from my hands helps the coconut oil to melt and mix better with the rest of the ingredients, but feel free to use a spoon.
- Spread topping over filling, pressing to make the topping stick on top of the filling.
- Bake at 350 covered for about 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is slightly browned and filling is bubbling, around 10-15 more minutes.
- Serve on its own, with ice cream, or this coconut milk whipped cream
Nutritional Benefits:
- Low in fat and no cholesterol; heart healthy
- Low in added sugar/no refined sugar
- Good source of protein: 6 g in a serving; great for repairing tissues and rebuilding
- Plant-based/vegan and gluten free; great for reducing inflammation
- Oats: high in fiber, helps to regulate blood sugar, digestive health, and helps to lower bad cholesterol
- Strawberries:112% of Vitamin C needs in 1 cup of strawberries, great for immune health and ridding the body of toxins, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, decreases risk of Type 2 diabetes and improves heart health
- Rhubarb: Rhubarb is one of the least calorie vegetables. 100 g provide just 21 calories, contains some vital phyto-nutrients such as dietary fiber, poly-phenolic anti-oxidants, minerals, and vitamins, contain no saturated fats or cholesterol. The stalks are rich in several B-complex vitamins such as folates, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, and pantothenic acid. Further, the stalks also contain small amounts of poly-phenolic flavonoid compounds like β-carotene and lutein. These compounds convert to vitamin A inside the body and deliver same protective effects of vitamin A on the body. Vitamin A is a powerful natural anti-oxidant and is required by the body for maintaining the integrity of skin and mucus membranes. It is also an essential vitamin for healthy eye-sight. Research studies suggest that natural foods rich in vitamin A help the body protects against lung and oral cavity cancers. As in other greens like kale, spinach, etc., rhubarb stalks also provide good amounts of vitamin-K. 100 g of fresh stalks provide about 24% of daily recommended intake of this vitamin. Vitamin K has a potential role in bone health by promoting osteotrophic (bone formation and strengthening) activity. Adequate vitamin-K levels in the diet help limiting neuronal damage in the brain; thus, has established role in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.Its stalks also contain healthy levels of minerals like iron, copper, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. However, most of these minerals do not absorb into the body as they are subject to chelating into insoluble complexes by oxalic acid, and excreted out from the body. Direct Source: http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/rhubarb.html
- 3#s of strawberries (or blueberries)-greens removed, we keep them whole, but cut in half if very large
- 3 cups of rhubarb, chopped
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 3 tbsp minute tapioca
- 3 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 3 cups of oats
- 3 tbsp almond butter or other nut butter
- 3 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- Place filling ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat.
- Spread into a 9x13 baking pan
- Place topping ingredients in a bowl and mix. I use my hands for this. I feel that the heat from my hands helps the coconut oil to melt and mix better with the rest of the ingredients, but feel free to use a spoon.
- Spread topping over filling, pressing to make the topping stick on top of the filling.
- Bake at 350 covered for about 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is slightly browned and filling is bubbling, around 10-15 more minutes.
- Serve on its own, with ice cream, or this
- coconut milk whipped cream
