Homemade Breakfast Bars

The first week's CSA delivery every season brings a bunch of rhubarb and it's just about the only time I ever use or eat rhubarb. I realized I've never posted anything on this interestingly sour vegetable that resembles celery. This year I found a recipe for a homemade cereal bar and baked them with my CSA partner. They are super crumbly, but delicious.

Strawberry Rhubarb Bars
Ingredients:
1.5 cups fresh rhubarb, diced
1.5 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2-3/4 cup butter softened
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

--> Combine the strawberries, rhubarb and lemon juice in a non-stick saucepan and cook on medium heat for ~10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sugar and cornstarch to fruit mixture, bring to boil, and allow it to boil 1 min until the sauce thickens a little.

--> Meanwhile, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, butter, baking soda and salt in a bowl and mix with electric mixer until the mixture resembles course crumbs — it will be very dry.

--> Reserve 1.5 cups of crust mixture and pat down the rest of the crust mixture into a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with PAM. Spread fruit mixture over bottom crust and then sprinkle the rest of crust mixture evenly over the top. Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

YUM :)