Rustic Rhuberry Crostata

I feel like I’ve been living on a movie set lately. I’ve witnessed a pattern for days now. Out of absolutely nowhere, clouds roll in, the sky turns black, and rain comes pouring down. I keep waiting for a movie director perched on a crane and equipped with a loud speaker to swing by my window at any given moment. The strong winds force the rain to fall sideways and the thunder is so loud that it shakes the picture frames on the walls. I’ve been tempted to pour some water in a glass, set it on the table, and see if I can get a Jurassic-Park-dinosaur-footstep-water-ripple effect to coincide with the crazy thunder. Then, just like that, it’s all over. The black clouds retreat, giving way to happily chirping birds and spectacular rainbows (Yes, plural. Double rainbow all the way). I guess the director has either yelled “Cut!” or a high maintenance actress was worried about her wet hair and needed a touch-up. Either way, I hope that they don’t need to film any retakes and the big-budget stormy special effects are done for the day.

Weather like this makes me want to bake. Since there is something just so comforting about treats fresh out of the oven on rainy days, I made a rustic rhuberry crostata. What’s a rhuberry, you ask? Well, it’s a simple play on words between rhubarb and blueberry. (If you haven’t noticed, I’m big on puns and word play.) This sweet yet tart rhuberry crostata makes weathering the storm a whole lot more fun and potential retakes much more berry-able. See what I did there? It’s a play on words :)



Rustic Rhuberry Crostata

I decided to make a crostata because I love the rustic and free-form look. Plus, I do not own a tart pan, so this was a no-brainer.

Ingredients

1 cup rhubarb, chopped
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Splash fresh lemon juice
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon corn starch
Pie dough from this recipe (divide it in half!) or frozen store-bought version
1 egg

Method

Make the dough according to the link above. While dough is chilling in the fridge, combine the rhubarb, blueberries, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, lemon juice, salt, and corn starch in a bowl. Allow to sit for 30 minutes to release juices and blend flavors, stirring every so often.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough onto floured board. Aim to make the dough roughly resemble a circle, about a foot in diameter. It doesn’t have to be perfect – this is supposed to look rustic. Transfer to baking sheet topped with parchment paper. Spoon and spread the rhuberry filling in the center of the dough, leaving a few inches bare towards the edges.



Fold outer edges of the dough over the filling, carefully creasing it section by section. You want the filling to still be visible, but securely contained within the dough. If some filling escapes, who cares, it will look even more rustic.

In a small bowl, beat egg and then brush on the folded-over crust. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. (If using store-bought dough, bake according to package’s instructions.) Allow crostata to sit at room temperature until the filling sets. Once cooled, cut and enjoy!