nothing says summer quite like a barbeque... and strawberry rhubarb crisp

I don't have words enough to express how happy I am to be back in Guelph.  I'm not even sure I really have a super awesome reason other than it's just home. 

On Saturday morning Josh Kyleigh and I went to the Guelph Farmers Market to get some produce for the salads and dessert I made for our little family barbeque.

 

I made a cucumber salad with peppers parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar dressing.  There really isn't a recipe for this one, just as much or as little of each thing as you want and mix.

Broccoli salad with an entire pound of bacon.  You can't go wrong with an entire pound of bacon. 

Broccoli Salad

from the big red book

  

1 big head of broccoli, cut into tiny florets
1 lb really well cooked bacon, crumbled
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Dressing

 1 cup mayonnaise (I use Hellmann's and not Miracle whip for this one)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar

Mix the dressing well.  Pour it over the salad stuff and let it sit for an hour or so till you're ready to serve it.

 

Margie was wonderful enough to make her super awesome and delicious corn salsa.  

The burgers and hot dogs are pretty self explanatory.

And to top it all off, a strawberry rhubarb crisp made with local strawberries and rhubarb.  Is there a better combination than strawberries and rhubarb?

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

from back to basics

2 lbs of fresh strawberries and rhubarb

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup all purpose flour 

Topping

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar 

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, combine strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, and 1/4 cup flour.

In a medium bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup flour and the butter.  You can use a food processor or a stand mixer, but  I find it so much easier to just get my hands dirty.  Add brown sugar and oats and mix until combined.  Sprinkle over strawberries and rhubarb.

Bake until strawberries and rhubarb are tender and topping is golden, 35 to 45 minutes.

It was such a wonderful night, and Kyleigh had the enormous privileged of being surrounded by so many people who love her.  If this barbeque was any indication of how amazing this summer is going to be, I'm not sure I'll be able to contain my excitement, or my need to celebrate with dessert.  Life is just sweeter with dessert isn't it? 

Oh how sweet it is.