Strawberry Rhubarb Upside-down Cobbler

Our kids and I had a great time strawberry picking with friends yesterday.  Before we left the farm stand, I spotted a box of beautiful, ruby-red rhubarb.  My mind went immediately to “rhubarb…strawberries…COBBLER!”  Not to mention the fact that rhubarb is so nutrient rich (and becomes more so, once it’s cooked)!  Low on the glycemic index, 14% protein, and high in fiber, vitamin C,  vitamin K, calcium and potassium, rhubarb is super-star.  Not to mention the fact that 1 cup is only 25 Calories!

Strawberries are no nutritional slouch either.  These sweet red beauties are high in folate (nature’s form of folic acid), fiber, vitamin C and manganese.  And when the sweetness of strawberries collides with the tartness of rhubarb, you have a winning result!

In this cobbler, I used no eggs, oil, butter or margarine, so there are no added calories from fat.  We love our oats around here, so there are a lot of them in the cobbler.

Technically this is more of an “upside down” cobbler because of the fact that the fruit is poured over the cobbler, versus plopping mounds of the topping over the fruit, which makes for a “cobblestone” appearance – thus the name.

The perfect addition for this was a little dollop of cashew cream that has been sweetened with dates.  I had my taste testers (ages 2 and 5) try out a spoonful, and they kept coming back for more.  That’s always a good sign.

Enjoy the fleeting days of spring and pick up some fresh (or frozen would work too) strawberries and rhubarb and see what you come up with!

Strawberry Rhubarb Upside-down Cobbler

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 4 stalks rhubarb, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup evaporated cane juice (more or less, depending on how sweet your berries are)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons potato starch (could substitute cornstarch)
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups non-dairy milk
• 6 Tablespoons maple syrup or agave

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine berries, rhubarb, evaporated cane juice and starch in a large bowl.  Toss to combine and set aside (at room temp) for about 30 min, or while you preheat the oven and prep your cobbler.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Time to prep your cobbler!  In a large mixing bowl, dump in your dry ingredients (flour, oats, cinnamon and baking soda).  Stir to combine, then add remaining ingredients to the party. (milk substitute, sweetener and vanilla).  Mix until everything is well incorporated.
3. Pour cobbler mixture into a 9×13 pan that is either non-stick or lightly sprayed with cooking spray.  Use the back of a wooden spoon  to make sure the batter covers the bottom of the pan evenly.  Add  the berries and rhubarb and spread out evenly.  Don’t be afraid to smoosh the fruit down a little into the batter.  
4. Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden and bubbly (center shouldn’t look too wet).

1. If you have time, cover the cashews with water and let them soak a while (1 hour up to overnight).  Then drain and rinse before making the cream.  If you don’t have time for this step, don’t worry about it.  
2. Place cashews and enough fresh water to almost cover the nuts in a blender pitcher, then add the dates and vanilla.  Blend until completely smooth.  High powered blenders like a VitaMix are GREAT at this, but any regular blender should be able to handle the job.
3. Place a dollop on top of your serving  of cobbler and voila!  Dig in!