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Tuesday Recipe: Strawberry, Rhubarb, and Banana Crostata

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Written by April Yorke   
Monday, 15 June 2009 19:00

Finally, a banana recipe in the Bananas issue! Of course, I wasn't really looking to use bananas. I had received some rhubarb, and, much like with my mushroom risotto, I was looking for a way to use it up. Since I had strawberries in the fridge, I decided to go this way.

Ingredients

Topping:

  • 1 1/2 cups pastry flour (1/2-pound)
  • 3/4 cup polenta (1/4-pound)
  • 1/2 cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
  • Large pinch fine salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon anise seeds, toasted
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Filling:

  • 1 pound rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 full pint basket large, ripe strawberries, about 1 pound, hulled and halved or quartered
  • 2 large ripe bananas, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon anise seeds, toasted
  • 1/2 orange, zest freshly grated
  • 1 lemon, zest freshly grated
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • Vanilla gelato or sweetened whipped cream, for serving, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

To make the topping, measure the flour, polenta, sugar, salt, baking powder, and anise seeds into a food processor or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pulse for a few seconds to combine.

Add the butter and pulse or mix on medium-low speed until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the egg into the well and toss the egg and flour together lightly and thoroughly with your fingers until evenly mixed. The mixture will not adhere in the manner of a dough but will clump together if pressed in your palm. Set aside until needed.

To make the filling, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss until well mixed. Turn mixture into a 2 quart shallow baking dish. Sprinkle the topping over the filling in an even layer. Do not press down. Place the dish on a baking sheet to catch the drips and place in the oven.

Bake until the juices are bubbling up around the topping and the top is crisp and golden brown, about 1 hour. Serve warm with gelato, if desired.

Chef's note: If you choose to bake the dessert in individual dishes, cut the baking time by about half.

Recipe Notes:

  • Terrible overhead shot by me, obvs.
  • I was a little thrown by this recipe as a crostata, having made a variety of crostatas before. It's more like a crostata crumble.
  • Polenta is just corn meal. Technically, polenta is a full-on dish made from (consisting of?) boiled corn meal popular in the north of Italy, but, for our purposes, buy some corn meal if you can't find a package actually labeled polenta.
  • 1 pound rhubarb = 4 cups
  • 1 pint strawberries = 16 oz / 454 g clam shell
  • Anise seeds taste like black licorice if you are wondering. I just toasted them in a frying pan. Basically shake them around until you can smell them. 
  • I own neither a food processor nor a standing mixer, so I used a pastry blender. This results in slightly more of a work out.
  • I love zesting lemons and oranges. Makes your house smell delicious.
  • I baked the crostata in a 11 x 8 glass dish.
  • Always lower the temperature by 25 degrees if you use glass (i.e. I cooked this at 350)
  • Do not forgo the tray underneath the baking dish. This recipe bubbles like a mofo.
  • End product? Delicious! The cinnamon hits you before the fork even gets there to your lips, curling around the roof your mouth, and preparing it for the buttery sweet fruit and crust combo. The anise stays behind the coat your mouth with one of those very mild, very delightful aftertastes that makes you crave the next bite. 
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April Yorke is a (Cult)ure Magazine contributor since Wednesday, 07 January 2009.

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