Fresh local berries make for a super summer treat

Last Saturday marked the beginning of a brand new farmer’s market in downtown Peterborough and I’m pretty excited. The focus of this market will be local primary producers and pretty soon it will be bursting with local fruits and vegetables.

I thought it was only appropriate to celebrate this new market with a seasonal recipe – who doesn’t love a fruit crisp?

I don’t think we have local berries just yet, but we definitely have rhubarb. Make sure you wash, chop and freeze some rhubarb so you can make this crisp when McLean’s strawberries burst onto the scene in a couple of weeks.

Rhubarb is one of my favourite healthy desserts. It’s full of fibre and can be made with less sugar since there’s strawberries (aka nature’s candy) in the recipe.

And if you’re really smart, you’ll serve it with a

dollop of dairy-free ice cream. Most dairy-free ice creams on the market are made with unrefined sugar, which is pretty awesome for those of us who like to watch our refined sugar intake.

You can find the Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market downtown at the Citi Centre Courtyard at 307 Aylmer Street North. You can also check out their website here https://www.ptboregionalfarmersmarket.org

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

If you have celiac disease and cannot tolerate even gluten-free oats, then you may want to try using quinoa flakes. I would just add about 1/3 cup more than what the below recipe calls for. I’d also add a little more sugar as quinoa can be a tad bitter.

Berry Mixture:

2 cups sliced strawberries

1 1⁄2 cups chopped rhubarb

1⁄3 cup certified gluten-free oat flour (we like Avena’s Only Oats)

1⁄3 cup coconut sugar

Crisp Topping:

3⁄4 cup certified gluten-free oat flour

3⁄4 cup certified gluten-free oats

1⁄3 cup coconut sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1⁄2 cup coconut oil, liquefied

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350degrees. In a large bowl, mix together berries, rhubarb, flour and coconut sugar.

2. Place in a 9-inch pie plate or 8-inch oven-proof bowl.

3. In a medium sized bowl, mix oat flour, oats, coconut sugar and ground cinnamon. Stir in coconut oil and mix until crumbly.

4. Sprinkle Crisp Topping over Berry Mixture and bake at for 40 to 50 minutes until bubbling and golden.

5. Remove from oven and let cool until ready to serve.

Maggie Savage is a holistic nutritionist who blogs about healthy gluten-free living. Find more of her recipes at www.SheLetThemEatCake.com