a concoction

I really love a dessert that is a bar. Maybe it's because I was raised in a large family so I'm used to a multitude of meals coming from a large casserole dish. I also like the durability of a bar, which then creates portability. Typically, bars are cut in large squares at bakeries, but any home cook knows they can bring them to a pot-luck and quickly cut them smaller if the crowd grows larger.

Since it's rhubarb season (and it's a short one like pomegranates. Sigh.) it's time for a bar dessert with their best friend, the strawberry. Finding the perfect bar proved tricky. I liked the idea of a traditional pie, without all the oozey messiness that necessitated a plate and fork. A slab pie you say? No, that's more pie crust than I prefer. A crumble? Not bad, but still not what I wanted.

After reviewing a few different recipes, it was time to take action and create a dessert that was a hybrid of a pie, slab pie and crumble. Then these babies came out of the oven and I knew I got it right.

The crust is sturdy enough to be held in one hand, without the fruit and crumble spilling over. The filling isn't dry because the fruit lends off a wonderful sweet juiciness that stays put with a bit of cornstarch. And don't think I forgot about that crumble topping. No way. That buttery oat mixture is the perfect crunch to these tart, dense bars.

where the wild fruits are

I have the privilege of vacationing on Martha's Vineyard every summer- I had a great-great grandfather who purchased the land that has since been passed down through generations. It's an ideal pastoral retreat that is abundant in all forms of vegetation, including wild blueberry bushes.

Have you ever eaten wild blueberries before? They're much smaller than their grocery store counterpart, and thus much more tart and flavorful. Elise Ruby loved picking wild blueberries with her cousins, as I did when I was growing up (and still do!). Of course the wild blueberries beg to be eaten right off the bush, but if you can muster the strength to save about a cup, then you can make this fancy/easy tart.